Estonia at EuroScience Open Forum (ESOF) 2016

Researchers in Estonia have reached the forefront in several fields on a global level.

Health technologies have some of the highest publication rates compared to all other fields of research. Competence centres support the cooperation of enterprises and research institutions both in Estonia and internationally. The cluster programme facilitates the cooperation of enterprises but the latter have provided no support to RD activities. In the field of health technologies and services, interdisciplinary collaboration with researchers in IT, technical engineering, design and arts, etc. is being performed. This has resulted in working on countermeasures to emerging virus threats (Ebola or Zika), personalising medicine with genetic testing, developing non-invasive medical monitoring and smart needles, combining design and technology for healthcare… you name it—Estonian researchers already have a solution.

In our ESOF booth (no. F13) we will present topics like:

• Non-invasive prenatal genetic testing (NIPT) is the latest and most precise screening method for detecting aneuploidy, and it is based on sequence analysis—second-generation sequencing of cell-free foetal DNA (cffDNA) in the mother’s blood circulation. Contact: Kaarel Krjutškov, kaarel.krjutshkov@ccht.ee
• Genetic risk profiling and fertify test, which uses polygenic risk scores for predicting the risk of early menopause and the concomitant earlier decrease in fertility. Contact:  Triin Laisk-Podar, triin.laisk-podar@ut.ee
• A myometric method and a device called Myoton that provides a novel solution for obtaining unique evidence-based data on superficial skeletal muscles. Contact: Teet Meerits, teet.meerits@ut.ee
• Implementation of  personal genetic information together with automated decision support systems to help physicians and make a huge impact on disease prediction, prevention and treatment. Personalised medicine  – a new, additional instrument available for physicians and health care system.

EuroScience Open Forum is a great arena to come and learn about Estonian research and researcher. We are looking forward to see you and share our knowledge!