Uudised

The Danish LEO Foundation supports researchers of the University of Tartu with 220,000 euros to conduct laboratory studies to discover the causes of atopic dermatitis, a frequent skin disorder. Atopic dermatitis is a chronic inflammatory skin disease, which in many cases is of allergic character, but the causes of which are not exactly known. Researchers participating in the project want to study how the early molecular events in atopic dermatitis are influenced by the specific small RNA molecules, known as microRNAs.

The government of Estonia has announced the laureates of this year’s national research awards. The award for outstanding lifetime achievement in research and development, 40 000 euros, was granted to professor emeritus of the University of Tartu, academician Agu Laisk. In addition, three projects won the award for best research work. Minister Mailis Reps congratulated all the awardees and expressed gratitude for their contribution to Estonian science. “The laureates are committed scientists and determined trailblazers in their field,” said Reps.

Cooperation between researchers in the United States and Estonia helps to discover changes in brain tissue, which are associated with the very early stages of dementia. The cause of nearly half of all cases of dementia is Alzheimer’s disease. It is estimated that 47 million people are suffering globally from Alzheimer’s – nearly the population of Spain. Due to the ageing of the population, it is predicted that 131.5 million people will be suffering from Alzheimer’s by 2050 – this is slightly less than the entire population of Russia.

With great sorrow, the University of Tartu announces the unexpected death of Rector Volli Kalm on Saturday, December 23. Volli Kalm was born on February 10, 1953 in Vändra. He graduated from the University of Tartu in 1976 with a degree in geology. In 1984, Kalm earned his PhD in geology from the Estonian Academy of Sciences after successfully defending his doctoral thesis "Formation, composition and usage of glaciofluvial deposits in Estonia." From 1988-1989, he attended postdoctoral studies in the geology department of the University of Alberta.

At the extraordinary senate session on 27 December, the senate of the University of Tartu unanimously appointed professor Tõnu Lehtsaar as the acting rector. In his speech to the senate, Lehtsaar said that his primary goal as the university’s acting rector is to maintain stability and find a new rector. “We will keep the university going. I asked members of the Rector’s Office at the meeting this morning if they were willing to continue in their office. I didn’t expect them to answer right away, but they confirmed that we will go forward together,” he said.

Professor Volli Kalm, Rector of the University of Tartu (10 February 1953 – 23 December 2017)

Friday, December 1 2017 marks the 98th birthday of the Estonia’s national university in Tartu. To celebrate the event, several events take place during the week-long celebrations – honorary doctorates and doctorates are conferred, the University’s honorary member named and the laurate of The University of Tartu Award for Contribution to Estonian National Identity named.

Based on student feedback, the recipient of the 2017 Best Teaching Staff Award of the University of Tartu from the Faculty of Medicine is Margot Peetsalu. In addition, ten best teaching staff members of the faculty were recognised (see the complete list below).

According to the students' feedback, the lecturer of the year 2017 at the Faculty of Medicine is Associate Professor in Surgical Diseases Margot Peetsalu. Among ten best lecturers of the Faculty of Medicine, two are from the Institute of Clinical Medicine: Associate Professor in Surgical Diseases Margot Peetsalu and Professor in Anaesthesiology and Intensive Care Joel Starkopf.

UT award for improving the quality of teaching was granted to the Institute of Clinical Medicine of the Faculty of Medicine for developing clinical practice in medical education. The award is a prize of 30,000 euros. According to Anti Kalda, vice dean for academic affairs of the Faculty of Medicine, the teaching quality award is a great recognition, as it is the first time the faculty has received the award.

The University of Tartu doctoral student of medicine, junior research fellow Helen Hermann was granted the 2017 Eastern Europe Dermatology Research Fellow Award by the European Society for Dermatology Research (ESDR). At one of the world’s most important dermatology research conference, the 47th Annual ESDR Meeting in Austria, the Eastern Europe Dermatology Research Fellow Award was presented to doctoral student of medicine, junior research fellow Helen Hermann of the University of Tartu Institute of Biomedicine and Translational Medicine.

Meelis Luht, former management board member of Eesti Meedia Group, will start work as the Director of Administration of the University of Tartu on 21 August. Rector Volli Kalm said the new director of administration has been in charge of several different areas of activity in his career and is a top leader with international work experience. We can see his capability as well as his desire and ambition to actively contribute to the implementation of the university’s development goals.

At the end of October, multi-purpose academic centre named after the 19th-century rector of the university, professor of physiology Alexander Schmidt were opened in the Biomeedikum building of the University of Tartu Faculty of Medicine.

This week the Faculty of Medicine is marking its 385th anniversary with two conferences, the awarding of its faculty medals and recognising its best students. The focal topic of the traditional anniversary conference is drawing attention to the importance of scientific research in benefiting the health of the people of Estonia.

The senate of the university has elected two new professors: Professor of Surgery - Urmas Lepner

Živile Riispere will defend her doctoral thesis titled „IgA Nephropathy study according the Oxford Classification: IgA Nephropathy clinical-morphological correlations, disease progressioon and the effect of renoprotective therapy“ on 1 September at 14.00.

The senate preferred Kalle Kisand as Professor of Laboratory Medicine, Neeme Tõnisson ranked the second. The professor's contract begins from the 1st of September 2017.

UT Senate conferred honorary doctorate of neurology of the University of Tartu on Professor emeritus Kauko Antti Markku Kaste of the University of Helsinki. Markku Kaste has shown outstanding performances in the research and development of acute stroke. His collaboration with the scientists of the University of Tartu has been longitudinal.

Liina Haring will defend her doctoral thesis titled „Cognitive functioning after first psychotic episode“ on 19 May 2017 at 14:00.

Kalev Nõupuu will defend his doctoral thesis titled „Autosomal-recessive Stargardt disease: phenotypic heterogeneity and genotype-phenotype associations“ on 14 June 2017 at 14:00.