Mauno Vihinen is well-known for his experience and interest in investigating variations and their effects whether they emerge at molecular levels (DNA, RNA protein), in structural context or in the cellular networks and pathways. He is the Professor of Medical Structural Biology at Lund University.

Vihinen was the first professor in bioinformatics in Nordic countries when appointed 1998 to University of Tampere, Finland. Throughout his career, his aim has been to combine experimental, theoretical and data analysis methods to obtain holistic understanding of biological and medical problems.

Current studies are devoted into analysis of variations and their effects, including prediction method development, and systems biological studies. The group is interested in many medical applications, especially in the fields of immunology and cancer.