The lead research areas

Dean's Office

Faculty contacts link:
Employee contacts

Faculty phone:
+ 372 737 5341

Faculty email:
hv.dekanaat [at] ut.ee

Faculty address:
Jakobi 2, rooms 116–121, 51005 Tartu
Institute of History and Archaeology

Faculty link:
www.flaj.ut.ee

Faculty contacts link:
Employee contacts

Faculty phone:
+372 737 5651

Faculty address:
Jakobi 2, 51005 Tartu
Institute of Estonian and General Linguistics

Faculty link:
keel.ut.ee

Faculty contacts link:
Employee contacts

Faculty phone:
+372 737 5221

Faculty email:
keeleteadus [at] ut.ee

Faculty address:
Jakobi 2, 51005 Tartu
Institute of Philosophy and Semiotics

Faculty link:
www.flfi.ut.ee

Faculty contacts link:
Employee contacts

Faculty phone:
+372 737 5314

Faculty email:
filosoofia.semiootika [at] ut.ee

Faculty address:
Jakobi 2, rooms 309–352, 51005 Tartu
Institute of Cultural Research

Faculty link:
www.flku.ut.ee

Faculty contacts link:
Employee contacts

Faculty phone:
(+372) 737 5223

Faculty email:
kultuuriteadused [at] ut.ee

Faculty address:
Ülikooli 16, 51003 Tartu
School of Theology and Religious Studies

Faculty link:
us.ut.ee

Faculty contacts link:
Employee contacts

Faculty phone:
+372 737 5301

Faculty email:
us [at] ut.ee

Faculty address:
Ülikooli 18–310, 50090 Tartu
College of Foreign Languages and Cultures

Faculty link:
maailmakeeled.ut.ee

Faculty contacts link:
Employee contacts

Faculty email:
keeled [at] ut.ee

Faculty address:
J. Liivi 4, 50409, Tartu
Viljandi Culture Academy

Faculty link:
kultuur.ut.ee

Faculty contacts link:
Employee contacts

Faculty phone:
+372 435 5232

Faculty email:
kultuur [at] ut.ee

Faculty address:
Posti 1, 71004 Viljandi

Dean's Office

Faculty contacts link:
Employee contacts

Faculty phone:
+ 372 737 5900

Faculty email:
sotsiaalteadused [at] ut.ee

Faculty address:
Lossi 36, 51003 Tartu
Institute of Education

Faculty link:
www.ht.ut.ee

Faculty contacts link:
Employee contacts

Faculty phone:
+372 737 6440

Faculty email:
haridus [at] ut.ee

Faculty address:
Salme 1a–29, 50103 Tartu
Johan Skytte Institute of Political Studies

Faculty link:
skytte.ut.ee

Faculty contacts link:
Employee contacts

Faculty phone:
+372 737 5582

Faculty email:
skytte [at] ut.ee

Faculty address:
Lossi 36–301, 51003 Tartu
School of Economics and Business Administration

Faculty link:
majandus.ut.ee

Faculty contacts link:
Employee contacts

Faculty phone:
+372 737 6310

Faculty email:
majandus [at] ut.ee

Faculty address:
Narva mnt 18, 51009 Tartu
Institute of Psychology

Faculty link:
psychology.ut.ee

Faculty contacts link:
Employee contacts

Faculty phone:
+372 737 5902

Faculty email:
psyhholoogia [at] ut.ee

Faculty address:
Näituse 2, 50409 Tartu
School of Law

Faculty link:
law.ut.ee

Faculty contacts link:
Employee contacts

Faculty phone:
+372 737 5390

Faculty email:
oi [at] ut.ee

Faculty address:
Näituse 20–324, 50409 Tartu
Institute of Social Studies

Faculty link:
yti.ut.ee

Faculty contacts link:
Employee contacts

Faculty phone:
+372 737 5188

Faculty email:
yhiskonnateadused [at] ut.ee

Faculty address:
Lossi 36, 51003 Tartu
Narva College

Faculty link:
www.narva.ut.ee

Faculty contacts link:
Employee contacts

Faculty phone:
+372 740 1900

Faculty email:
college [at] narva.ut.ee

Faculty address:
Raekoja plats 2, 20307 Narva
Pärnu College

Faculty link:
www.pc.ut.ee

Faculty contacts link:
Employee contacts

Faculty phone:
+372 445 0520

Faculty email:
info [at] pc.ut.ee

Faculty address:
Ringi 35, 80012 Pärnu

Dean's Office

Faculty contacts link:
Employee contacts

Faculty phone:
+372 737 5326

Faculty email:
med [at] ut.ee

Faculty address:
Ravila 19, 50411 Tartu
Institute of Biomedicine and Translational Medicine

Faculty link:
biomeditsiin.ut.ee

Faculty contacts link:
Employee contacts

Faculty phone:
+372 737 4210

Faculty email:
bsmi [at] ut.ee

Faculty address:
Biomeedikum, Ravila 19, 50411 Tartu
Institute of Pharmacy

Faculty link:
farmaatsia.ut.ee

Faculty contacts link:
Employee contacts

Faculty phone:
+372 737 5286

Faculty email:
pharmacy [at] ut.ee

Faculty address:
Nooruse 1, 50411 Tartu
Institute of Dentistry

Faculty link:
hambaarstiteadus.ut.ee

Faculty contacts link:
Employee contacts

Faculty phone:
+372 731 9856

Faculty address:
Raekoja plats 6, 51003 Tartu
Institute of Clinical Medicine

Faculty link:
clinicalmedicine.ut.ee

Faculty contacts link:
Employee contacts

Faculty phone:
+372 737 5323

Faculty email:
kmi [at] ut.ee

Faculty address:
L. Puusepa 8, 50406 Tartu
Institute of Family Medicine and Public Health

Faculty link:
tervis.ut.ee

Faculty contacts link:
Employee contacts

Faculty phone:
+372 737 4190

Faculty email:
dph [at] ut.ee

Faculty address:
Ravila 19, 50411 Tartu
Institute of Sport Sciences and Physiotherapy

Faculty link:
www.kk.ut.ee

Faculty contacts link:
Employee contacts

Faculty phone:
+372 737 5360

Faculty email:
kkdek [at] ut.ee

Faculty address:
Jakobi 5–205, 51005 Tartu

Dean's Office

Faculty contacts link:
Employee contacts

Faculty phone:
+372 737 5820

Faculty email:
ltt [at] ut.ee

Faculty address:
Vanemuise 46–208, 51003 Tartu
Institute of Computer Science

Faculty link:
cs.ut.ee

Faculty contacts link:
Employee contacts

Faculty phone:
+372 737 5445

Faculty email:
ics [at] ut.ee

Faculty address:
Narva mnt 18, 51009 Tartu
Estonian Marine Institute

Faculty link:
mereinstituut.ut.ee

Faculty contacts link:
Employee contacts

Faculty phone:
+372 671 8902

Faculty address:
Mäealuse 14, 12618 Tallinn
Institute of Physics

Faculty link:
www.fi.ut.ee

Faculty contacts link:
Employee contacts

Faculty address:
W. Ostwaldi 1, 50411 Tartu
Institute of Chemistry

Faculty link:
chem.ut.ee

Faculty contacts link:
Employee contacts

Faculty phone:
+372 737 5261

Faculty email:
chemistry [at] ut.ee

Faculty address:
Ravila 14a, 50411 Tartu
Institute of Genomics

Faculty link:
genomics.ut.ee

Faculty contacts link:
Employee contacts

Faculty phone:
+372 737 4000

Faculty email:
egv [at] ut.ee

Faculty address:
Riia 23b, 51010 Tartu
Institute of Mathematics and Statistics

Faculty link:
www.math.ut.ee

Faculty contacts link:
Employee contacts

Faculty phone:
+372 737 5860

Faculty email:
ltms [at] ut.ee

Faculty address:
Narva mnt 18, 51009 Tartu
Institute of Molecular and Cell Biology

Faculty link:
tymri.ut.ee

Faculty contacts link:
Employee contacts

Faculty phone:
+372 737 5027

Faculty address:
Riia 23, 23b–134, 51010 Tartu
Tartu Observatory

Faculty link:
www.kosmos.ut.ee

Faculty contacts link:
Employee contacts

Faculty phone:
+372 737 4510

Faculty email:
kosmos [at] ut.ee

Faculty address:
Observatooriumi 1, Tõravere, 61602 Tartumaa
Institute of Technology

Faculty link:
tuit.ut.ee

Faculty contacts link:
Employee contacts

Faculty phone:
+372 737 4800

Faculty email:
info [at] tuit.ut.ee

Faculty address:
Nooruse 1, 50411 Tartu
Institute of Ecology and Earth Sciences

Faculty link:
www.omi.ut.ee

Faculty contacts link:
Employee contacts

Faculty phone:
+372 737 5835

Faculty email:
om [at] ut.ee

Faculty address:
Vanemuise 46, 51003 Tartu

Institutions

Library

Faculty link:
utlib.ut.ee

Faculty contacts link:
Employee contacts

Faculty phone:
+372 737 5702

Faculty email:
library [at] utlib.ee

Faculty address:
W. Struve 1, 50091 Tartu
Youth Academy

Faculty link:
teaduskool.ut.ee

Faculty contacts link:
Employee contacts

Faculty phone:
+372 737 5581

Faculty email:
teaduskool [at] ut.ee

Faculty address:
Uppsala 10, 51003 Tartu
Museum

Faculty link:
muuseum.ut.ee

Faculty contacts link:
Employee contacts

Faculty phone:
+372 737 5674

Faculty email:
muuseum [at] ut.ee

Faculty address:
Lossi 25, 51003 Tartu
University of Tartu Natural History Museum and Botanical Garden

Faculty link:
natmuseum.ut.ee

Faculty contacts link:
https://www.ut.ee/en/kontakt/loodusmuuseum-botaanikaaed

Faculty phone:
+372 737 6076

Faculty email:
loodusmuuseum [at] ut.ee

Faculty address:
Vanemuise 46, 51003 Tartu

Support Units

Administrative Office

Faculty contacts link:
Employee contacts

Faculty phone:
+372 737 5606

Faculty email:
kantselei [at] ut.ee

Faculty address:
Ülikooli 18a, 51005 Tartu
Centre for Entrepreneurship and Innovation

Faculty contacts link:
Employee contacts

Faculty phone:
+372 737 4809

Faculty email:
eik [at] ut.ee

Faculty address:
Narva mnt 18, 51009, Tartu
University Office in Tallinn

Faculty link:
University Office in Tallinn

Faculty contacts link:
Employeescontacts

Faculty phone:
+372 737 6600

Faculty email:
esindus [at] tallinn.ut.ee

Faculty address:
Teatri väljak 3, 10143 Tallinn
Estates Office

Faculty contacts link:
Employee contacts

Faculty phone:
+372 737 5137

Faculty address:
Ülikooli 18a, 51005 Tartu
Finance Office

Faculty contacts link:
Employee contacts

Faculty phone:
+372 737 5125

Faculty email:
rahandus [at] ut.ee

Faculty address:
Jakobi 4, 51005 Tartu
Grant Office

Faculty contacts link:
Employee contacts

Faculty phone:
+372 737 6215

Faculty address:
Raekoja plats 9, 51004 Tartu
Information Technology Office

Faculty contacts link:
Employee contacts

Faculty phone:
+372 737 6000, IT-help: +372 737 5500

Faculty email:
ito [at] ut.ee, arvutiabi [at] ut.ee

Faculty address:
Ülikooli 18a, 51005 Tartu
Human Resources Office

Faculty contacts link:
Employee contacts

Faculty phone:
+372 737 5145

Faculty email:
personal [at] ut.ee

Faculty address:
Ülikooli 18, rooms 302 and 304, 50090 Tartu
Internal Audit Office

Faculty contacts link:
Employee contacts

Faculty email:
siseaudit [at] ut.ee

Faculty address:
Ülikooli 18-244, 51005 Tartu
International Cooperation and Protocol Office

Faculty contacts link:
Employee contacts

Faculty phone:
+372 737 6123

Faculty email:
iro [at] ut.ee

Faculty address:
Ülikooli 18, rooms 104, 301, 305, 50090 Tartu
Marketing and Communication Office

Faculty contacts link:
Employee contacts

Faculty phone:
+372 737 5687

Faculty email:
info [at] ut.ee, avalik [at] ut.ee

Faculty address:
Ülikooli 18, rooms 102, 104, 209, 210, 50090 Tartu
Office of Academic Affairs

Faculty contacts link:
Employee contacts

Faculty phone:
+372 737 5620

Faculty address:
Ülikooli 18, 50090 Tartu
Procurement Office

Faculty contacts link:
Employee contacts

Faculty phone:
+372 737 6632

Faculty email:
tuuli.ilula [at] ut.ee

Faculty address:
Ülikooli 18a, 51005 Tartu
Rector's Office
Rector's Strategy Office

Faculty contacts link:
Employee contacts

Faculty phone:
+372 737 5600

Faculty email:
rektor [at] ut.ee

Faculty address:
Ülikooli 18, 50090 Tartu
Student Council

Faculty link:
tyye.ut.ee

Faculty contacts link:
Employee contacts

Faculty email:
info [at] tyye.ee

Faculty address:
Ülikooli 18b, 51005 Tartu
University of Tartu Press

Faculty link:
www.tyk.ee

Faculty contacts link:
Employee contacts

Faculty phone:
+372 737 5945

Faculty email:
tyk [at] ut.ee

Faculty address:
W. Struve 1, 50091 Tartu

University of Tartu Academic Sports Club

Faculty link:
sport.ut.ee

Faculty phone:
+372 737 5371

Faculty email:
info [at] tysk.ee

Faculty address:
Ujula 4, 51008 Tartu
Tartu Student Village

Faculty link:
campus.ee

Faculty phone:
+372 740 9959

Faculty email:
info [at] kyla.ee

Faculty address:
Narva mnt 25, 51013 Tartu
Tartu Students’ Club

Faculty link:
www.tym.ee

Faculty phone:
+372 730 2400

Faculty email:
tym [at] ut.ee

Faculty address:
Kalevi 24, 51010 Tartu
Tartu University Hospital

Faculty link:
www.kliinikum.ee/eng

Faculty email:
kliinikum [at] kliinikum.ee

Faculty address:
L. Puusepa 1a, 50406 Tartu
University of Tartu Foundation

Faculty link:
sihtasutus.ut.ee/en

Faculty phone:
+372 737 5852

Faculty email:
triin.vakker [at] ut.ee

Faculty address:
Ülikooli 18, 50090 Tartu
View all other units

Faculty link:
www.ut.ee/en/other-units

The academic staff of the Institute of Clinical Medicine is leading around 30 different scientific projects. The research is in tight connection with the research of other institutes of the Faculty of Medicine, especially the Institute of Biomedicine and Translational Medicine.

Here you may find the lead research areas of the Institute of Clinical Medicine.

COVID-19 projects

Project's name: Elaboration of prognostic measures and potential therapies based on severe cases of COVID-19 patients

The current project describes COVID-19 hospitalisations in Estonia during 2020, their treatment outcomes and investigates risk factors for severe disease. We will evaluate the treatment standard variety in different hospitals in Estonia. Genetic studies will hopefully provide the risk groups for COVID-19 disease acquisition. We plan to analyze the immune response dynamics of COVID-19 patients during and after hospitalization together with long term evaluation in Estonian cohort of patients. Effectiveness of convalescent plasma therapy in the treatment of COVID-19 patients will be evaluated. There are several different specialities included in the project: clinical medicine, epidemiology and biostatistics, immunology, virology and genetic experts of the University of Tartu. We will cooperate with all the COVID-19 treating hospitals in Estonia. This collaboration will hopefully provide the most important aspects to consider during infectious diseases outbreaks in the future.. Read more.

Period: 2021-2022
Contact: Professor Joel Starkopf Joel.Starkopf [ät] ut.ee

Clinical Research Centre

Project's name: Development of the clinical research unit

The list of Estonian Research Infrastructures Roadmap includes the National Centre for Translational and Clinical Research (CTM). The goal of the CTM for this period is to develope a clinical research unit. In connection with that, the partners of the project (University of Tartu, Estonian University of Life Sciences and Tartu University Hospital) are developing the Clinical Research Centre. The project is supported by the European Union, European Regional Development Fund.

Period: 2017-2021
Contact: dr Katrin Kaarna Katrin.Kaarna [ät] ut.ee

Anestesiology and intensive care

Project's name: Effect of Allopurinol in addition to hypothermia for hypoxic-ischemic Brain Injury on Neurocognitive

This project aims to evaluate the efficacy and safety of allopurinol administered immediately after birth to near-term infants with HIE in addition to hypothermic treatment. Beyond this primary objective, the project will provide information on the effect of ypothermia on pharmacokinetics of drugs with a similar metabolism as allopurinol in neonates. Furthermore it will give the opportunity to further develop and validate biomarkers for neonatal brain injury using advanced magnetic resonance imaging, biochemistry, and electroencephalogramms, which will then be available for future studies testing neuroprotective interventions. Finally, this trial will extend our knowledge about incidence of and risk factors for perinatal asphyxia and HIE possibly enabling generation of more preventive strategies for the future. Read more.

Period: 2016-2021
Contact: Professor Tuuli Metsvaht Tuuli.Metsvaht [ät] ut.ee

Project's name:Acute mesenteric ischemia: development of an algorithm for diagnosis and management

Acute mesenteric ischemia (AMI) is a rare disease with a very high reported mortality (50-70%). AMI has different forms which are encountered and managed by different medical specialties (e.g. emergency care physicians, vascular surgeons, interventional radiologists, visceral surgeons, gastroenterologists, intensivists). A lack both of specific symptoms and of reliable biomarkers, in addition to the different approaches used by different specialties, and probably a historical belief that AMI is ‘a deadly syndrome’, has inhibited developments in this field. Recent preliminary evidence suggests that a multidisciplinary approach implemented in a specialist center can yield high survival rates and lower net morbidity. A uniform algorithm for diagnosis and management of AMI is currently not available however. Our main objective is, through a series of clinical studies complemented by systematic reviews, to develop a diagnostic and management algorithm for AMI.. Read more.

Period: 2021-2025
Contact: Research Fellow Annika Reintam Blaser Annika.Reintam.Blaser [ät] ut.ee

Dermatology

Project's name: High-throughput molecular profiling, multicomponent biomarkers and multiomic analysis of papulosquamous disorders.

Papulosquamous diseases are chronic inflammatory skin diseases (CISDs) with significant negative impact on the physical, emotional, and psychosocial wellbeing of affected patients. The major entities include psoriasis, lichen planus (LP), and pityriasis rubra pilaris (PRP). They can be difficult to distinguish from each other in early stages yet require different management strategies. This necessitates a more precise understanding of pathogenesis which would facilitate accurate and biomarker-based diagnosis. Therefore, having studied CISDs, the intention is to use high-throughput technologies to profile more infrequent and scientifically neglected ones - palmoplantar pustulosis (PPP), LP and PRP – to uncover the similarities and crucial differences among them. The data will enable the development of multicomponent biomarkers by machine learning methods, while integrative multiomics analysis can illuminate the underlying physiology.. Read more.

Period: 2021-2025
Contact: Professor Külli Kingo Kylli.Kingo [ät] ut.ee

Hematology and oncology

Project's name: Novel treatment options of glioblastoma that influence DNA-repair: from in vitro tests to academic clinical study

This project has two main goals: (1) to find most efficacious treatment combination of drugs and/or radiotherapy to treat glioblastoma in preclinical setting, (2) to create, according to the results of preclinical studies, clinical phase I-II study protocol and to start with academic clinical trial in glioblastoma. The project is funded from baseline funding of the Institute of Clinical Medicine, University of Tartu.

Period: 2019-2022
Contact: Associate Professor Jana Jaal Jana.Jaal [ät] ut.ee

Cardiology

Project's name: Functional, metabolomics and genetic profiling of the arterial atherosclerosis. Scientific elaboration of novel risk assessment algorithms to the clinical practice

Cardiovascular (CV) diseases are the leading cause of death in the world, as well as in Estonia. The main objectives of the present project is to improve the CV risk prediction by integration of metabolomic and genetic profile with novel arterial functional and structural parameters, and scientific elaboration of novel integrated evidence-based strategies to the clinical practice. The importance of understanding the mechanisms and developing new risk scores of CV disease is a new promising area in translational medicine and the key point of the present project. The current project is closely linked to our previous projects where we started for the first time in Estonia the biochemical and functional assessment of arterial damage in different disease models, created the specialised Endothelial Research Centre, the Estonian Myocardial Infarction Registry, and a cohort of CV risk assessment of athletes to target prevention measures and translate basic research to the clinical practice. Read more.

Period: 2019-2023
Contact: Professor Jaan Eha Jaan.Eha [ät] ut.ee

Project's name:Arterial functional-metabolomic concept of peripheral artery disease: from pathophysiological mechanisms of limb ischemia to prognostic biomarkers

Peripheral artery disease (PAD) is a marker of a malignant vascular phenotype with adverse cardiovascular disease event rates exceeding those reported for other populations with atherosclerosis. The progression of the disease may lead to lower limb amputation, which is devastating for patients` quality of life and is a huge socio-economic burden to society. Currently available options for the management of PAD are limited. This highlights the importance of a better understanding of the pathogenesis of the disease in order to identify novel prognostic biomarkers and potential specific targets for instituting more precise therapies. Within this well-targeted project, we plan to carry out for the first time in PAD patients: a) exploration of novel pathophysiological pathways of PAD in an ischaemic limb model; b) evaluation the impact of the arterial functional-metabolomic profile on prognosis; c) description of the pathogenetic course of the disease after revascularization.. Read more.

Period: 2021
Contact: Professor Jaak Kals Jaak.Kals [ät] ut.ee

Clinical genetics

Project's name: The diagnostics and prevalence of rare congenital myopathies and neurometabolic disorders.

A disease is defined as rare when it affects less than 1 in 2000 and about 80% of them are genetic diseases. A diagnostic test is available only for more than 3000 rare diseases and majority of them lack a specific test. A multi-omics approach and international collaborations are needed for increasing their diagnostic efficacy. Firstly, we focus on the identification of new rare muscular and neurometabolic disorders using combined genomic, transcriptomic, histopathological and metabolomics approaches. Secondly, we correlate the clinical phenotype, muscle morphotype and genotype of patients with congenital and mitochondrial myopathies. Based on these data we evaluate the diagnostic and economic effectiveness of different diagnostic approaches for these disorders: traditional diagnostics and modern diagnostics pipeline. Thirdly, we estimate the prevalence of rare genetic diseases, mainly treatable disorders, with the aim to propose measures how to improve the detection rate. Read more.

Period: 2019-2023
Contact: Professor Katrin Õunap Katrin.Ounap [ät] ut.ee

Project's name: Rare disease genomics: developing methods to complement exome sequencing

Although exome sequencing has revolutionized diagnostics of rare genetic disorders, still around 50% of patients with the suspected monogenic disorder remain without exact molecular genetic diagnosis and thus are not able to benefit from adequate family counseling or novel treatment options like gene therapy. To supplement exome sequencing where small variants across all genes are covered, the proposed project uses low-coverage genome sequencing as a cost-efficient approach for detecting larger structural genomic variants as well as variants in the mitochondrial genome. Moreover, another approach using RNA sequencing instead of standard DNA sequencing will be implemented for rare disease diagnostics. The project will aim to assess the utility of these assays in exome-negative patients, develop bioinformatics methods, and also discover new genetic diseases. The results of the project have the potential to be later implemented to clinical diagnostics in routine healthcare settings. Read more.

Period: 2020-2022
Contact: Associate Professor Sander Pajusalu Sander.Pajusalu [ät] ut.ee

Project's name: Improved diagnostic output in large sarcomeric genes

Inherited myopathies are genetically determined diseases affecting voluntary muscles (skeletal muscle disorders or SMDs). SMDs include a wide spectrum of disorders characterized by a different age of onset, disease progression, and muscle involvement. The phenotypic variability seen in SMDs, the lack of clear-cut genotype- phenotype correlations and the sheere size of the SMD- associated genes (e.g., TTN or NEB) make the diagnostic process complex. Half of the patients do not receive a molecular diagnosis despite a workflow including clinical, histological, imaging and genetic tests. The molecular diagnosis is crucial for SMD patients in order to receive optimal care, correct prognosis and proper genetic counceling. Futhermore, the functional consequences of the genetic variations in these genes are nearly unknown.
This project, which brings to life a synergistic cooperation between clinicians, geneticists, pathologists, physiologists, biophysicists and patient advocacy organizations, aims at improving the diagnostic pipeline for skeletal muscle disorders caused by mutations in large genes like TTN (titin) and NEB (nebulin), using novel techniques through five complementary work- packages. Our goal is to design and validate new tools available to a large community of clinicians and researchers working in this field, and to characterize in depth genotype- functional- phenotype correllations.

Period: 2020-2023
Contact: Professor Katrin Õunap Katrin.Ounap [ät] ut.ee

Pediatrics

Project's name: Establishing innovative approaches for optimal infection prevention of resistant bacteria in NICUs by integrating research, implementation science and surveillance in a sustainable global platform

Around 10% of newborns in Europe will be admitted to a neonatal intensive care unit (NICU). Critically ill babies are a highly vulnerable population for the acquisition of resistant bacteria. Sepsis is among the most common events in NICU and is known to be associated with high mortality and poor long-term outcomes. Despite rising awareness of high rates of resistant bacterial colonisation reported in NICU, there is very little robust specific data on globally applicable infection prevention and control (IPC) measures. NeoIPC focuses on new approaches to the prevention and management of resistant bacterial colonization and infection on NICU. The project builds on and further extends the collaboration between 13 partners with a proven track record in relevant areas, including neonatal infection, IPC, implementation science, microbiology and surveillance. NeoIPC aims to develop and implement an innovative approach towards the evaluation of IPC interventions combining a robust cost-efficient randomised trial combined with the evaluation of a suitable implementation science strategy and novel targeted clinical and genotypic surveillance. A further goal is to generate widely relevant pan-European network strategies to improve IPC in routine neonatal care. This will be achieved through six interrelated work packages to deliver a cluster randomised trial-implementation hybrid investigating the impact of skin antisepsis on infant hospital-acquired clinical sepsis and resistant bacterial colonisation, coupled with a comprehensive implementation strategy incorporating optimal targeted surveillance in a clinical network with tailored dissemination and exploitation to facilitate sustainable embedding of outputs. NeoIPC will generate globally transferrable outputs to reduce hospital transmission of resistant pathogens, foster and facilitate collaborative research and IPC implementation efforts with a broad and long-lasting impact for critically ill newborns and infants.. Read more.

Period: 2021-2026
Contact: Professor Tuuli Metsvaht Tuuli.Metsvaht [ät] ut.ee

Project's name: Exposomic determinants of increasingly common childhood chronic illnesses

This project will address the interactions between the external and internal exposome to identify novel causal pathways in the development of childhood type 1 diabetes, allergy and obesity. The focus is on the living environment at and around the home, gut microbiome and physical activity using already collected clinical data and study materials from the DIABIMMUNE longitudinal study. We will study soil microbial diversity around home of infants from a new intervention trial with the aim of reducing allergy through exposing infants to materials of high microbiological diversity. All this together will provide a great opportunity to study the role of novel external and internal exposomic determinants in the development of childhood type 1 diabetes, allergy and obesity. Our results could reveal new potential risk and protective factors from early childhood and puberty, from the living environment that influence the aetiology of these diseases and/or their subsequent progression.. Read more.

Period: 2021
Contact: Professor Vallo Tillmann Vallo.Tillmann [ät] ut.ee

Project's name: Orphanet Network

Rare diseases (RD) have been considered a challenge for Europe, for they have been identified as one of the paradigmatic fields in which actions conducted at the European level constitute the adequate response to their specific problems: poor recognition leading to diagnostic delay and inappropriate management including adapted social services, poor health outcomes, social burden, limited knowledge on natural history and pathophysiology leading to an insufficient development of new therapies. To provide the RD community with interoperability tools, in particular around an inventory of RD, to allow for semantic interoperability between countries and between domains (health, research) 2. To provide high-quality information on RD, in particular through an encyclopedia in several languages, 3. To provide a directory of expert services in order to help patients, physicians and stakeholders finding the expertise on a particular disease in Europe and beyond, and to produce data needed to support policy actions. 4. To further develop and sustain Orphanet as the reference knowledge base on RD, by establishing and consolidating collaboration within the Orphanet pan-European network and with European Reference Networks (ERNs) for the production, improvement and dissemination of knowledge on rare diseases. It will allow for the creation of a consistent expertise ecosystem for rare diseases in Europe. Read more.

Period: 2018-2021
Contact: Professor Vallo Tillmann Vallo.Tillmann [ät] ut.ee

Project's name: REsearch on Children and Adults born Preterm

The overall aim of this project is to improve the health, development and quality of life of children and adults born very preterm (VPT, < 32 weeks of gestation) or very low birth weight (VLBW, < 1500g birth weight) across the life. This aim will be achieved by integrating, harmonizing and exploiting the wealth of data from the major European cohorts of VPT/VLBW children and adults and their families constituted initially in the early 1980s, when medical advances enabled significant gains in survival for these children, up until the present. Novel methodologies and tools for data management will be developed to strengthen research on current and future VPT/VLBW cohorts. Read more.

Period: 2017-2021
Contact: Associate Professor Heili Varendi Heili.Varendi [ät] ut.ee

Project's name: Drug resistant epilepsy in childhood: prevalence, stricture and etiology in Estonia

Epilepsy is the most common neurological disease in childhood. Approximately 30% of children with epilepsy develop drug resistant epilepsy (DRE). Epileptic activity itself may lead to regression of psychomotor development and contribute to severe cognitive and behavioral impairments leading to development of epileptic encephalopathies (EE). EE refer to disorder group where epileptic syndromes vary in their age of onset, developmental outcome, etiologies, neuropsychological deficits, electroencephalographic patterns, seizure types and prognosis. The aim of the study is to investigate incidence, prevalence, structure and aetiology of DRE in Estonia. The most important aim is to determine the underlying genetic or structural cause for DRE. Early etiological diagnosis can avoid unnecessary investigations. Also it may aid selection of the best treatment, provides accurate genetic information to the family, gives advice on the recurrence risk and allows for the option of prenatal testing. Read more.

Period: 2019-2022
Contact: Research Fellow Klari Heidmets Klari.Heidmets [ät] ut.ee

Project's name: Expanding the profile of continuous glucose monitoring usage in clinical practise

Continuous glucose monitoring (CGM) is coming an everyday clinical practice in patients with type one diabetes. However, there are several other clinical conditions such as patients receiving intensive care, newborns, patients receiving high doses of glycocorticosteroids (HDGC), where the data about the dynamics of blood glucose is important, but the experience on the CGM use is very low and clinical value is unclear. In the current study, we plan to recruit 2 study cohorts: newborns with an increased risk for hypoglycaemia (NIRH), and children receiving HDGC due to their disease. The primary goal of the study is to analyse the data coming from CGM and the use of obtained information in different clinical settings and in decision making processes. In newborns, we will use CGM to evaluate the efficiency of current routine treatment approach for neonatal hypoglycaemia. In patients treated with HDGC we will describe the dynamic changes in blood sugar levels after the start of treatment. Read more.

Period: 2019-2022
Contact: Lecturer Aleksandr Peet Aleksandr.Peet [ät] ut.ee

Project's name: Little-NIRVANA- a New and ImmeRsive VR experience for kids AgaINst pAin

Each year many millions of children are exposed to painful medical events such as vaccinations, blood sampling, minor surgery or invasive examinations. Children often perceive these events as very fearful, which leads to treatment failure, slower healing and anticipatory anxiety, even throughout adult life. The majority of these kids might benefit from a (VR) distraction intervention to increase comfort; hiwever, current tools insufficiently meet clinical and psychological needs. Little-NIRVANA aims to develop (and validate) a novel, pediatric pain management solution directed towards empowerment and trust. It consists of an educational app for home-use, a multisensory VR distraction experience and a dashboard for care-givers that allows modulation of the distraction based on the patient´s status. The holistic approach zooms in on all the needs from home2bed, creating a continuous care pathway that will leads to improved wellbeing and eventually a cost-reduction in health care.

Period: 2020-2022
Contact: Associate Professor Anneli Kolk Anneli.Kolk [ät] ut.ee

Project's name: Power of Integrated Modern Technology in Pediatric Neurorehabilitation: Multitouch-Multiuser TableTop and Virtual Reality Platforms for Remediation of Social and Cognitive Deficit in Children (PowerVR)

Social communication disorders (SCD) with low peer acceptance and decreased social support is common in children with acquired brain injury (ABI). New technologies Multitouch-Multiuser tabletop (MMT) and virtual reality (VR) environments have considerable potential, however, the increasing interest in new technologies has not given rise to evidence-based studies in children. Our aim is to develop and implement the new MMT/VR interfaces into pediatric neurorehabilitation and examine how a child’s social skills improve compared with conventional psychotherapy; to develop pediatric rehabilitation protocols of social aspects and educate the students & staff. Our work is a randomized long-term study, including 90 ABI patients with SCD; and 60 healthy controls at the age of 8–13 yrs. There are 10 1-h sessions once a week in which the patients will practice in pairs a series of tasks on MMT/VR, guided by therapists. Social competence and parents' ratings will be evaluated. Read more.

Period: 2020-2023
Contact: Associate Professor Anneli Kolk Anneli.Kolk [ät] ut.ee

Project's name: Development of social skills and Estonian communication speech for children with nervous system impairment using robot-based intervention

The aim of the project, together with experts in robotics and informatics, is to teach the robot to communicate in Estonian and answer a child's speech in order to develop communication skills, vocabulary and non-verbal communication of children with social deficits, speech problems and learning difficulties. Another goal is to implement communication robots in pediatric neurorehabilitation. The project is funded from the Feasibility Fund of the University of Tartu.

Period: 2020-2021
Contact: Associate Professor Anneli Kolk Anneli.Kolk [ät] ut.ee

Neurology and neurosurgery

Project's name: Retinal periphlebitis as a prognostic and subphenotype marker in multiple sclerosis

The concept of retinal periplebitis (RP) in multiple sclerosis (MS) has not been revisited in the context of recent developments in MS pathogenesis. In addition to cellular immune responses, B cell component is recognized in MS and may be more prevalent in some patients. Knowledge on mechanisms is relevant in making treatment choices that are currently lacking clinical clues. RP is easily and inexpensively detected at the back of the eye and may be a potential clinical marker for immunopathological subphenotype of MS. The project aims at studying RP as a marker of MS activity, type of immune responses involved, including a proposed B cell mechanism, and investigating possible associations of RP with MS systemic immune responses and with recently described MS leptomeningeal lesions. Additionally, it would be of interest to study RP as a prognostic marker in conversion of clinically and radiologically isolated syndromes (CIS and RIS respectively) into clinically definite MS. Read more.

Period: 2019-2022
Contact: Research Fellow Janek Vilisaar Janek.Vilisaar [ät] ut.ee

Project's name: Peripheral nervous system involvement in Parkinson's disease

Parkinson’s disease (PD) is more than a movement disorder affecting dopaminergic neurons in the midbrain – a systemic disease: also the peripheral nervous system is a target of α-synuclein deposition, and PD patients have been found to have a higher prevalence of preexisting polyneuropathy. We propose to examine polyneuropathy in PD by using a highly interdisciplinary series of experiments from bench to bedside. Patients with PD will be examined clinically, neurophysiologically, and skin biopsies will be taken. Sensory neurons will be examined to uncover the role that excitatory ion channels play on mitochondrial dynamics in models of PD. Neurochemical and genetic mouse models of PD will be used to assess the presence of polyneuropathy in mice who are not treated with levodopa. Aim of this study is to reveal the prevalence and clinical characteristics of peripheral neuropathy in PD patients, and its value as a biomarker for PD progression. Read more.

Period: 2020-2024
Contact: Professor Pille Taba Pille.Taba [ät] ut.ee

Personalized medicine, Genomics, Patient safety, Biobanks, Life sciences

Project's name: Clinical pilot projects of personalized medicine in the precise prevention of breast cancer and cardiovascular diseases.

We propose to carry out pilot projects with two types of diseases using the principles of personalised medicine. One project is the implementation of a model for personalised risk-based breast cancer screening, early detection and prevention. The study is aimed to demonstrate the usability of personalised approach for adjusting screening recommendations, based on predicted genetic and cumulative risk estimates for breast cancer including both the detection of moderate and high hereditary breast cancer risk carriers as well as high risk polygenic risk score carriers among healthy individuals. The other project is the implementation of a model for personalised PREVENTION OF CARDIOVASCULAR DISEASES (CVD) AND MORTALITY. The project is aimed to demonstrate the usability of personalised approach for stratification, adjusting screening recommendations, based on predicted genetic and cumulative risk estimates for CVD among healthy individuals by risk factors calculation and genetic testing. Read more.

Period: 2018-2021
Contact: Associate Professor Jana Jaal Jana.Jaal [ät] ut.ee

Project's name: ERA Chair - Center for Genomics, Evolution and Medicine (cGEM)

The ERA Chair aims to apply advancements in genomic medicine in an evolutionarily-aware framework to account for different evolutionary pathways of populations which have led to differences in susceptibility to common diseases. This requires the knowledge about the genetic risk factors for diverse ethnic groups and the tools to highlight the underlying genetic predisposition to diseases in complex human populations. For this reason, we will bring together the scientific expertise in two institutions: the Institute of Genomics and the Institute of Clinical Medicine at the University of Tartu. The synergy between the two scientific hubs will create the research capacity for tackling the abovementioned aim. This capacity will be built to apply a holistic approach to understand the evolutionary driving forces that have led to common diseases; develop disease risk prediction models applicable in different populations, and explore the means for translating these findings into suitable input for everyday clinical practice. For these purposes we shall estimate the mutation rate across molecular pathways during the evolution, migration and mixing of the human populations, and study the roles of demographic history and local adaptation in the global patterns of mutation processes in humans exploring regional differences in the accumulation of mutations predisposing individuals to common complex diseases. The cGEM will utilize its international collaborations and in-house biobanks to advance the personalized medicine solutions for admixed populations for predicting risk of certain complex diseases, including metabolic and cardiovascular diseases, and cancers. Read more.

Period: 2018-2023
Contact: Professor Andres Salumets Andres.Salumets [ät] ut.ee

Project's name: Developing the University of Tartu to a well-networked PATient SAFEty research center in Estonia

Patient safety is a serious global public health problem affecting all countries. Estimates show that 1/10 patients are harmed during hospital care resulting in 23 million disability-adjusted life years lost per year. Research advancement is emphasized by all expert groups as a key precondition for safer care . The PATSAFE project will enhance Institute of Clinical Medicine of the University of Tartu (ICM-UT) research potential and capacities in patient safety in order to improve and strengthen knowledge and skills in methods, techniques and experience for patient safety research. Strategic partnership with Avedis Donabedian Foundation (FAD) from Spain and IQ Healthcare (IQ-HC) from The Netherlands, both international leaders in patient safety research, enables developing a long-lasting knowledge exchange alliance allowing ICM-UT to capitalise on its current achievements and to overcome gaps in scientific excellence in the field of patient safety research.

Period: 2019-2022
Contact: Associate Professor Kaja Põlluste Kaja.Polluste [ät] ut.ee

Ophthalmology

Project's name: Exploration of therapeutic targets associated with formation of premacular membrane

The overall objective of the current project is to identify critical gene regulatory network modules and promising therapeutic targets in controlling fibrotic responses in primary premacular membrane (PMM). The specific aims are as follows: (1) To characterize distinct cell populations constituting premacular membranes and unveil the subpopulations/states of myofibroblasts using single-cell (SC) transcriptomics. (2) To profile the transcriptional landscape in cells progressed to contractile stage and their non-fibrotic progenitors by scRNA-Seq. (3) To reveal and functionally validate critical regulons accounting for MF transdifferentiation/ progression of PMM.
The project is funded from baseline funding of the Institute of Clinical Medicine, University of Tartu.

Period: 2020-2023
Contact: Associate Professor Kuldar Kaljurand Kuldar.Kaljurand [ät] ut.ee

Obstetrics and gynecology

Project's name: The role of endometrium as a major factor affecting female fertility and pregnancy outcome

Our team at Women’s Clinic is the sole research group in Estonia dedicated to basic, translational and clinical studies on woman’s reproductive health, which is a major determinant for their own and future generations health throughout the life course. Many families are exposed to potential medical issues before motherhood as 20% of women are infertile, 15-20% may have miscarriage and 10% of pregnancies face preterm birth. We assume that uterine and endometrial dysfunction is one of the culprits behind infertility and gestational pathologies, like preterm deliveries, that increase the risk of adverse health outcomes in offspring. In the current project, we plan studies on uterine-related disorders, like infertility, chronic endometritis and endometriosis to clarify the mechanisms of these diseases and facilitate their diagnostics. Moreover, to avoid adverse pregnancy outcomes, non-invasive approaches for pregnancy monitoring will be developed that are safe for mothers and babies.. Read more.

Period: 2021-2025
Contact: Professor Helle Karro Helle.Karro [ät] ut.ee

Project's name: Presentation of data based on the database of sexual assault centres to the public as digital infographics

The aim of the project is to develop a prototype of public data presentation on the basis of the existing database of sexual assault centres and, as a final solution, regularly updated and publicly available digital infographics.The main target groups are the general public, including potential victims of sexual violence; but also the public and private sectors, including the Ministry of Social Affairs, Justice and Home Affairs and their subdivisions (eg the Victim Support Department of the Social Insurance Board, children's homes, the Police and Border Guard Board), and representatives of the third sector.
Problem to be solved:
To help victims of sexual violence, sexual assault centres (SACs) have been established in health care institutions and a database has been created at the University of Tartu, where data on survivors and perpetrators of sexual violence, sexual crime, seeking help and services provided to victims are collected. At present, the problem is that this data is available in the database, but is not available to the public in a comprehensible and non-personalized form in order to raise awareness of the problem of sexual violence in society and access to help. Another problem is that public and private sector partners do not currently have a rapidly up-to-date and publicly accessible overview of referral and help services’ parameters on which to base needs- and research-based activities and cooperation in the public sector and to improve the quality of assistance to victims.

Period: 2021-2022
Contact: Lecturer Kai Part Kai.Part [ät] ut.ee

Project's name: Fetal structural and genetic abnormalities in Estonia: prenatal detection, management and prognosis

Aims of the project are: (1) to set up a ready collaborative network involving all key providers of prenatal diagnostics in Estonia to provide high-quality and specialized services for every family; (2) to provide essential epidemiologic information and detection rate of antenatally detected congenital anomalies in Estonia; (3) to analyse pregnancy outcome of antenatally detected fetal anomalies: termination of pregnancy, application of fetal therapy, perinatal mortality and morbidity; (4) to assess the prognostic value of different ultrasound markers of antenatally detected structural anomalies; (5) to assess the diagnostic yield of application of currently used genetic tests behind the detected fetal structural anomalies. The project is funded from baseline funding of the Institute of Clinical Medicine, University of Tartu.

Period: 2019-2022
Contact: Associate Professor Kristiina Rull Kristiina.Rull [ät] ut.ee

Project's name: Innovative Training Network in Female Reproductive Care

The MATER consortium is a proposal for an innovative training network including academic and industry partners from seven European countries. The consortium plans basic and translational research in female fertility by improving the basic-science knowledge and the quality of care and safety in female reproductive medicine. The targeted delicate issues include infertility, miscarriages, the origin of newborn diseases, as well as devising novel ways to treat infertility, avoid miscarriages and implement genetic technologies to prevent birth of children with severe diseases. The consortium emphasises the continuum of reproductive processes starting from maturation of an oocyte to embryo development, which are vulnerable processes, and may lead to implantation failure, miscarriage, or even birth of a sick child. These studies are critical to the general population of women in childbearing age, and particularly to pregnant women. However, the largest impact is expected on women experiencing infertility, as a substantial part of the research aims at more reliable, safe and cost-effective tools for infertility treatment. These goals will be achieved via joint supervision of 12 doctoral students by five academic (University of Tartu, Estonia; Karolinska Institutet, Sweden; Katholieke Universiteit Leuven, Belgium; University of Helsinki and University of Oulu, Finland) and five industry (Blueprint Genetics, Finland; Igenomix, Spain; Competence Centre on Health Technologies, Estonia; Sismer, Italy and Invicta, Poland) partners. The partners show excellent and unique expertise in diverse fields of reproductive medicine, and form a strong, coherent, stimulating network ensuring boosting research excellence, effective training, clinical innovation and industrial impact, leading to increased European economic and academic competitiveness. Read more.

Period: 2019-2023
Contact: Professor Andres Salumets Andres.Salumets [ät] ut.ee

Project's name: Ethically Responsible INnovations in reproductive medicine

ERIN project was initiated to spread the academic excellence to University of Tartu (UT) in Estonia as representative of the Widening country, by enhancing networking activities with internationally-leading counterparts, Karolinska Institute (Sweden) and Maastricht University Medical Centre (The Netherlands). The consortium increases the scientific, innovation and clinical superbness of UT and its partners, by raising the R&I profiles, and the proficiency to identify, explore and resolve the ethical challenges in female reproductive medicine. We deal with the most intimate aspects of human life, by medically assisting conception, by carrying out a genetic analysis of an embryo or fetus to have a healthy baby, and by preserving fertility in women whose fertility is at risk. In the era of rapidly progressing technologies, novel solutions emerge fasten than the conclusive clinical evidence is collected and ethical challenges are addressed. Reproductive medicine is also often unsatisfactorily publicly supported, creating an inequality in access for the most vulnerable category of the patients, women waiting for childbirth. This is why reproductive medicine, covering human life from fertilization till birth, requires special attention to tackle all possible ethical concerns, risks and vulnerabilities, and involving all stakeholders, from individual patients to broad community. By addressing these challenges, we aim to bring more ethically responsible innovations into clinic that do not harm the interests of the various stakeholders, are evidence-based, cost-effective and therefore could be implemented in a sustainable way to ensure that these novel solutions become widely accessible. As an outcome, ERIN improves the responsible innovation practices, establish ethical system in R&I, expands knowledge and innovation capacity of the UT, and improves proficiency of all partners to facilitate the equity of access to research advances in reproductive medicine.

Period: 2020-2023
Contact: Professor Andres Salumets Andres.Salumets [ät] ut.ee

Traumatology and Orthopedics

Project's name: Cardiovascular And MEtabolic Risk after Arthroplasty: the CAMERA study

Osteoarthritis is a chronic joint disease that lacks curative therapy. Epidemiological studies show increase in the burden of disease. Total joint arthroplasty is one of the best treatment options for end-stage osteoarthritis. However, the specific effects of arthroplasty are largely unknown. The aim of this project is to elucidate how hip and knee arthroplasty affects cardiovascular and metabolic risk. We hypothesize that arthroplasty leads to decreased pain, systemic inflammation levels and increased functional status that decreases the metabolic and cardiovascular risk. This project will help to develop a model that identifies a group of patients that will benefit most from fast arthroplasty and therefore have an impact on the operation queue.. Read more.

Period: 2021-2024
Contact: Research Fellow Kaspar Tootsi Kaspar.Tootsi [ät] ut.ee

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The lead research areas

New professors at the Institute of Clinical Medicine

Defended PhD

Code of Conduct and Guideline

Patient Safety Terms