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Faculty of Arts and HumanitiesDean's Office, Faculty of Arts and HumanitiesJakobi 2, r 116-121 51005 Tartu linn, Tartu linn, Tartumaa EST0Institute of History and ArchaeologyJakobi 2 51005 Tartu linn, Tartu linn, Tartumaa EST0Institute of Estonian and General LinguisticsJakobi 2, IV korrus 51005 Tartu linn, Tartu linn, Tartumaa EST0Institute of Philosophy and SemioticsJakobi 2, III korrus, ruumid 302-337 51005 Tartu linn, Tartu linn, Tartumaa EST0Institute of Cultural ResearchÜlikooli 16 51003 Tartu linn, Tartu linn, Tartumaa EST0Institute of Foreign Languages and CulturesLossi 3 51003 Tartu linn, Tartu linn, Tartumaa EST0School of Theology and Religious StudiesÜlikooli 18 50090 Tartu linn, Tartu linn, Tartumaa EST0Viljandi Culture AcademyPosti 1 71004 Viljandi linn, Viljandimaa EST0Professors emeriti, Faculty of Arts and Humanities0Associate Professors emeriti, Faculty of Arts and Humanities0Faculty of Social SciencesDean's Office, Faculty of Social SciencesLossi 36 51003 Tartu linn, Tartu linn, Tartumaa EST0Institute of EducationJakobi 5 51005 Tartu linn, Tartu linn, Tartumaa EST0Johan Skytte Institute of Political StudiesLossi 36, ruum 301 51003 Tartu linn, Tartu linn, Tartumaa EST0School of Economics and Business AdministrationNarva mnt 18 51009 Tartu linn, Tartu linn, Tartumaa EST0Institute of PsychologyNäituse 2 50409 Tartu linn, Tartu linn, Tartumaa EST0School of LawNäituse 20 - 324 50409 Tartu linn, Tartu linn, Tartumaa EST0Institute of Social StudiesLossi 36 51003 Tartu linn, Tartu linn, Tartumaa EST0Narva CollegeRaekoja plats 2 20307 Narva linn, Ida-Virumaa EST0Pärnu CollegeRingi 35 80012 Pärnu linn, Pärnu linn, Pärnumaa EST0Professors emeriti, Faculty of Social Sciences0Associate Professors emeriti, Faculty of Social Sciences0Faculty of MedicineDean's Office, Faculty of MedicineRavila 19 50411 Tartu linn, Tartu linn, Tartumaa ESTInstitute of Biomedicine and Translational MedicineBiomeedikum, Ravila 19 50411 Tartu linn, Tartu linn, Tartumaa ESTInstitute of PharmacyNooruse 1 50411 Tartu linn, Tartu linn, Tartumaa ESTInstitute of DentistryL. Puusepa 1a 50406 Tartu linn, Tartu linn, Tartumaa ESTInstitute of Clinical MedicineL. Puusepa 8 50406 Tartu linn, Tartu linn, Tartumaa ESTInstitute of Family Medicine and Public HealthRavila 19 50411 Tartu linn, Tartu linn, Tartumaa ESTInstitute of Sport Sciences and PhysiotherapyUjula 4 51008 Tartu linn, Tartu linn, Tartumaa ESTProfessors emeriti, Faculty of Medicine0Associate Professors emeriti, Faculty of Medicine0Faculty of Science and TechnologyDean's Office, Faculty of Science and TechnologyVanemuise 46 - 208 51003 Tartu linn, Tartu linn, Tartumaa ESTInstitute of Computer ScienceNarva mnt 18 51009 Tartu linn, Tartu linn, Tartumaa ESTInstitute of GenomicsRiia 23b/2 51010 Tartu linn, Tartu linn, Tartumaa ESTEstonian Marine Institute0Institute of PhysicsInstitute of ChemistryRavila 14a 50411 Tartu linn, Tartu linn, Tartumaa EST0Institute of Mathematics and StatisticsNarva mnt 18 51009 Tartu linn, Tartu linn, Tartumaa EST0Institute of Molecular and Cell BiologyRiia 23, 23b - 134 51010 Tartu linn, Tartu linn, Tartumaa ESTTartu ObservatoryObservatooriumi 1 61602 Tõravere alevik, Nõo vald, Tartumaa EST0Institute of TechnologyNooruse 1 50411 Tartu linn, Tartu linn, Tartumaa ESTInstitute of Ecology and Earth SciencesJ. Liivi tn 2 50409 Tartu linn, Tartu linn, Tartumaa ESTProfessors emeriti, Faculty of Science and Technology0Associate Professors emeriti, Faculty of Science and Technology0Institute of BioengineeringArea of Academic SecretaryHuman Resources OfficeUppsala 6, Lossi 36 51003 Tartu linn, Tartu linn, Tartumaa EST0Area of Head of FinanceFinance Office0Area of Director of AdministrationInformation Technology Office0Administrative OfficeÜlikooli 17 (III korrus) 51005 Tartu linn, Tartu linn, Tartumaa EST0Estates Office0Marketing and Communication OfficeÜlikooli 18, ruumid 102, 104, 209, 210 50090 Tartu linn, Tartu linn, Tartumaa EST0Area of RectorRector's Strategy OfficeInternal Audit OfficeArea of Vice Rector for Academic AffairsOffice of Academic AffairsUniversity of Tartu Youth AcademyUppsala 10 51003 Tartu linn, Tartu linn, Tartumaa EST0Student Union OfficeÜlikooli 18b 51005 Tartu linn, Tartu linn, Tartumaa EST0Centre for Learning and TeachingArea of Vice Rector for ResearchUniversity of Tartu LibraryW. Struve 1 50091 Tartu linn, Tartu linn, Tartumaa EST0Grant OfficeArea of Vice Rector for DevelopmentCentre for Entrepreneurship and InnovationNarva mnt 18 51009 Tartu linn, Tartu linn, Tartumaa EST0University of Tartu Natural History Museum and Botanical GardenVanemuise 46 51003 Tartu linn, Tartu linn, Tartumaa EST0International Cooperation and Protocol Office0University of Tartu MuseumLossi 25 51003 Tartu linn, Tartu linn, Tartumaa EST0
Mart Saarma
The University of Tartu has conferred the degree of Honorary Doctor of Neuroscience on Professor Mart Saarma for his outstanding achievements in neuroscience research and development and long-term fruitful collaboration with researchers of the University of Tartu.
Mart Saarma was born on 29 June 1949 in Tartu in a family of recognised medical doctors. In 1972, he graduated from the Faculty of Biology and Geography of Tartu State University as a biochemist and defended his Candidate of Biology degree at the same faculty in 1975. In 1987, he successfully defended his Doctor of Biology degree at the Institute of Molecular Biology of the USSR Academy of Sciences.
In 1977, Mart Saarma moved to Tallinn, where he became the head of the Department of Molecular Genetics of the National Institute of Chemical Physics and Biophysics. From 1986, he was a part-time professor at Tartu State University. In 1990, he was elected director and professor of the Institute of Biotechnology of the University of Helsinki. Since then, the University of Helsinki has been his main employer. In 2020, Mart Saarma became the research director of the Institute of Biotechnology at the University of Helsinki.
Professor Saarma is a very reputable researcher who has been constantly at the forefront of science. He has a background in molecular neuroscience and has recently investigated the biology of neurotrophic factors and their therapeutic applications. He has discovered several glial cell line-derived neurotrophic factor (GDNF) receptors. His research team was the first to solve the peculiarities of the crystal structure of the GDNF-GFRα1 receptor complex. He has developed small molecule GDNF mimetics that can protect nerve cells. He has discovered a new neurotrophic factor – brain dopamine neurotrophic factor CDNF – which, together with the homologous protein MANF (neurotrophic factor derived from midbrain astrocytes), forms a new family of evolutionarily conserved neurotrophic factors.
According to Google Scholar, Saarma's work has been cited 28,802 times, and his h-index is 79. Saarma has been active in the practical application of research results in the biotechnology and pharmaceutical industries. He holds a number of patents, patent families and several research or licensing agreements with international pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies. Saarma is or has been a member or chair of scientific councils in several national and international institutions: vice president of the European Research Council, member of Estonian Research and Development Council, chair of the Heidelberg Neuroscience Center and a member of the EU Human Brain Project. He is also a member of the Estonian Academy of Sciences, an external member of the Finnish Academy of Science and Letters, a member of the Finnish Academy of Technology, a member of Academia Europaea and a foreign member of the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences. His achievements have been recognised with the Estonian Order of Merit of the White Star (Second Class), the Knight, First Class, of the Order of the White Rose of Finland and the Commander of the Order of the Lion of Finland.
Cooperation with the University of Tartu has had a special place in Professor Saarma's activities. He has repeatedly given lectures at the University of Tartu Faculty of Medicine and chairs the international scientific advisory board of the Centre of Excellence for Genomics and Translational Medicine of the University of Tartu. His cooperation with the University of Tartu Institute of Chemistry, especially with Prof. Mati Karelson and Prof. Jaanus Harro, is also important, focusing on the development and research of new GDNF mimetics. It is safe to say that without Mart Saarma's contribution as a partner, educator, consultant and spokesperson for our researchers, the University of Tartu would not be such a well-known and highly recognised centre of genomics and personalised medicine in Europe today.