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On 30 October, the University of Tartu senate decided to award the Johan Skytte medal to President Alar Karis. The highest award for university members, the University of Tartu Grand Medal, is given to Ruth Oltjer, Liina Lindström and Maris Laan. Also, the recipients of the University of Tartu Star of Appreciation, Medal, Badge of Distinction and the decoration “100 Semesters at the University of Tartu” have been selected.

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Registration is now open for the University of Tartu’s three-minute thesis competition for doctoral researchers, which will take place on 21 October at the University of Tartu Library. The deadline for registration is 12 October.

The safety of medicines and vaccines continues to be monitored after they are introduced for use, but unfortunately not all side effects are captured in registries or medical records. A recently published study provides a more comprehensive picture of these side effects and opens up new opportunities to investigate their underlying causes.

Each first-year PhD student in the Institute of Genomics (IG) will be assigned a “buddy” who is at least a third or fourth year PhD student. The buddy will be a person who welcomes a new person to the Institute and supports them, especially in the beginning of the studies. The points to help with include for example, introducing relevant people, showing the main rooms, systems, and helping with connecting with the right people about key cards, printers, and so on. A guiding checklist will help the buddy to remember which topics to cover.

Complex diseases such as schizophrenia are difficult to decode because they are influenced by thousands of genetic variants together with environmental factors. Although genome-wide association studies (GWAS) have identified many disease-associated variants over the past two decades, conventional approaches often rely on linear models that may miss more complex biological relationships.

From 26 to 28 August, the University of Tartu hosted the 2nd Nordic Summer School on Computational Microbiome Research. The biennial event brought together 50 people from 11 countries.

The Black Death is often remembered as a single catastrophic event that swept across Europe between 1347 and 1353, killing millions. Yet the disease did not disappear after that first devastating outbreak. For over four centuries, plague continued to return in recurring waves, reshaping communities, economies, and societies across Europe and beyond. A new study led by researchers at the University of Tartu sheds fresh light on this long and complex history by analysing the DNA of the plague bacterium preserved in archaeological human remains.

The DNA of two randomly selected people is approximately 99.9% identical. However, differences in the remaining 0.1% of the genome influence many individual traits, including appearance, disease risk, and the body's response to medications. A study by researchers at the University of Tartu found that this small amount of genetic variation may also be linked to several personality traits.

Nominations for the Estonian Science Communication Awards can be submitted to the Estonian Research Council (ETAG) until 15 September. The competition aims to recognise outstanding and active science communicators as well as innovative initiatives that promote science to wider audiences.

From 1 to 23 September, University of Tartu students and alumni, including staff members, can apply for the mentoring programme, which is held for the tenth time this year. Applications can be submitted on the university website.

In 2019, Stefania Sasso began her doctoral studies at the Institute of Genomics of the University of Tartu. Now she is defending her doctoral dissertation, but the research she has done here also helps to understand the history of the Estonian population.

UT staff and students are invited to nominate candidates who deserve to be awarded the university’s honorary decoration for their outstanding achievements. Nominations can be submitted until 20 September.

You can now watch TEDx University of Tartu talks on TEDx YouTube channel.

The 25th International Gene Forum will take place on 25–26 August at the Estonian National Museum.

In the autumn semester of 2026, students can take part in the updated and popular elective course “Deep Tech Entrepreneurship” (2 ECTS), led by Tõnu Esko, Vice Rector for Development at the University of Tartu.

University of Tartu graduation ceremonies take place from 12 to 20 June. Live streaming, recordings and photos of the ceremonies are available on UTTV.

Led by University of Tartu researchers, the largest and most comprehensive study to date has been completed on how genetic differences between individuals influence metabolism.

Researchers find surprising links which show that Neandertal ancestry influences our immune system today in ways more nuanced than previously recognised.

Academician Andres Metspalu, Professor of Genomics, Biobanking and Biotechnology at the University of Tartu, has been elected a member of the committee established by the European Commission to identify new members for the European Research Council’s (ERC) governing body, the ERC Scientific Council.