research
Lisainfo
Kalmer Lauk
Grant Office
Statistics and Analysis
Analyst of Research and Development
statistics and analysis of research and development activities, confirming ETIS publications and coordination of funding for research collections, research funding database Pivot-RP
+372 737 6532
Ülikooli 18a–112
Piret Ehrenpreis
MA (Journalism)
Marketing and Communication Office
Communication Unit
Research Communication Adviser
+372 5816 0090
Ülikooli 18–210

Trending research

Trending research provides an overview of scientific studies published during the year that have gained the most attention on international digital platforms in the past month. We update the data once a month, but we also make changes to the rankings as needed.

Each year, researchers at the University of Tartu contribute to couple of thousand high-level scientific publications. All these research works present remarkable discoveries in various scientific fields. However, after publication, these discoveries begin to live their own lives and attract different levels of attention. Accumulating scientific citations takes a lot of time, and the final impact of the research may only become clear years later.

On this page, we highlight three scientific publications from each faculty published under the leadership of University of Tartu researchers during the current year that have been at the center of attention in international digital channels based on altmetric data. Altmetrics encompass mentions in international news portals, blogs, and social media.

Altmetrics is a method for evaluating the impact of scientific publications that offers an alternative to the traditional citation-based system. It enables the measurement of the societal and online influence of research based on how much the article has been shared on social media, blogs, news outlets, and other online sources. Altmetric data help to reveal how research influences the broader public and what kind of feedback it receives outside the academic community.

The altmetric badge, often referred to as the "Altmetric Donut," uses colors and numbers to display the attention a research work has received on various platforms. The number in the center of the badge is the attention score.

Different sources contribute differently to the score, depending on their reach and impact—for instance, news: 8; blogs: 5; policy documents: 3; clinical guidelines: 3; patents: 3; Wikipedia: 3; Bluesky (original posts and shares): 0.25; YouTube: 0.25, etc.

The proportion of each color in the donut changes depending on which sources the research work has garnered attention from:

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Author: Kalmer Lauk, grandikeskus


This research has received extensive coverage in mainstream media.

x
Author: Kalmer Lauk, grandikeskus


This study has received most of its attention from blogs and has also been cited in public policy documents.

x
Author: Kalmer Lauk, grandikeskus

This study has received significant attention on social media and has been mentioned on a peer review forum.

https://www.altmetric.com/about-us/what-are-altmetrics/

https://www.altmetric.com/about-us/our-data/donut-and-altmetric-attention-score/

Trending in arts and humanities

Bronze Age residents of what is now Estonia ate a surprisingly similar diet regardless of their overall living standards — porridge, milk and meat.

Estonian archaeologists have reached this conclusion after studying ancient bones, teeth and pottery fragments.

Read more from the scientific paper or from Novaator

Institute of History and Archaeology

Tõrv, Mari, et al. "Segregated food culture? Bronze Age (1250–500 cal BCE) dietary practices in northern Estonia." Journal of Archaeological Science: Reports 69 (2026): 105514. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jasrep.2025.105514

For more than a century, long-term community‑based fieldwork has been the cornerstone of ethnographic research. Shared time and space, sensory presence, and participation in everyday life enable the ethnologist to build a relationship of trust with research partners and to engage with their “lived reality” (Jackson, Piette 2015: 3). Recently, however, health crises and geopolitical tensions have made classical fieldwork extremely difficult or even impossible in many places, especially in Russia. In these changed circumstances, it is necessary to search for ways to continue research in a methodologically and ethically sustainable manner without interrupting long‑standing relationships with Indigenous collaborators. It is precisely within this tension that my “Yamal Nenets Film Series” (2024–2025) is situated, based on video material recorded in the spring of 1999.
Read more from the scientific paper

Institute of Cultural Research

NIGLAS, LIIVO. "„Jamali neenetsite filmiseeria": Sündmusfilm etnograafilise uurimisviisi ja virtuaalse väljana." Keel ja Kirjandus (2026). 1-2. https://doi.org/10.54013/kk818a6

A surprisingly large number of Finno‑Ugric people are taking part in Russia’s ongoing war of conquest against Ukraine. In general, these and other small ethnic groups in Russia suffer disproportionately high human losses compared to their share of the country’s total population. At first glance, it may seem contradictory that many members of Indigenous peoples go to war despite the bitter historical experiences of their ancestors and the ongoing colonial situation in which they themselves live. Upon closer examination, this is a matter of limited options: long‑standing power and dependency relations have shaped circumstances in which, for some, the military appears to be one of the few realistic pathways to income, status, masculinity, or recognition. For others, however, such a choice is unthinkable.
Read more from the scientific paper

Institute of Cultural Research

Vallikivi, Laur. "Vastuolulised sõjad ja kestev kolonisatsioon neenetsi tundras." Keel ja Kirjandus (2026). 1-2. https://doi.org/10.54013/kk818a9

Trending in science and technology

Ancient DNA data have helped identify that certain herpesviruses, which most people encounter during their lifetime, became part of the human genome thousands of years ago.

Ancient DNA allows us to observe the evolution of bacteria and viruses over very long time periods. For the first time, researchers have reconstructed ancient genomes of human betaherpesviruses 6A and 6B (HHV-6A/B) from archaeological human remains that are more than two millennia old. The study, led by the University of Vienna and the University of Tartu and published in Science Advances, confirms that these viruses have evolved with humans and within humans since at least the Iron Age.

Read more from the scientific paper or from Novaator

Institute of Genomics

Guellil, Meriam, et al. "Tracing 2500 years of human betaherpesvirus 6A and 6B diversity through ancient DNA." Science Advances 12.1 (2026): eadx5460. https://doi.org/10.1126/sciadv.adx5460

Researchers at the University of Tartu have mapped how genes influence human metabolism using data from more than half a million people. The large-scale study gives scientists a more precise picture of the causes of disease and could help speed up drug development.

Read more from the scientific paper or from Novaator

Institute of Genomics

Tambets, Ralf, et al. "Genetic analysis of circulating metabolic traits in 619,372 individuals." Nature (2026): 1-8. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41586-026-10532-5

Researchers from the Institute of Physics and the Institute of Molecular and Cell Biology of the University of Tartu have shown in a recently published study that antibacterial coatings which initially appear highly effective at destroying bacteria, may lose their performance over time. Therefore, long-term testing is essential for developing the best antibacterial materials. The article describing the results of the study, "Artificial aging induced changes in ZnO- and TiO₂-based polyacrylic surface coatings," was published in the journal npj Materials Degradation.
Read more from the scientific paper or from Novaator

Institute of Physics

Kook, Mati, et al. "Artificial aging induced changes in ZnO-and TiO₂-based polyacrylic surface coatings." npj Materials Degradation (2026). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41529-026-00741-8

Trending in medicine

The Human Genetics Research Group of the University of Tartu Faculty of Medicine has identified a gene whose defect may cause congenital heart malformations in the fetus. The MGRN1 gene has not previously been associated with early human development or with any disease. The discovery will help doctors better recognise similar cases in the future and improve the counselling and treatment offered to affected families.

Read more from the scientific paper or from Eureka

Institute of Biomedicine and Translational Medicine

Kasak, Laura, et al. "MGRN1 is linked to recessive heart and laterality defects: the first genotype-phenotype report in humans." Journal of Medical Genetics (2026). https://doi.org/10.1136/jmg-2025-111380

A new study explores how a gene called NEGR1, linked to psychiatric disorders, affects brain function.
Researchers found that mice lacking this gene showed altered communication between brain cells, especially involving the key signaling chemical glutamate. They also observed increased activity of NMDA receptors, which play a major role in learning and memory. In addition, the study revealed disruptions in the kynurenine pathway, a biochemical system connected to brain health and inflammation. These combined changes may help explain how genetic differences contribute to conditions like depression and schizophrenia. Overall, the findings offer new insight into how a single gene can influence complex brain processes and mental health.

Read more from the scientific paper

Institute of Biomedicine and Translational Medicine

Kuuskmäe, Carolin, et al. "Negr1 deficiency alters glutamate signalling and kynurenine pathway in a mouse model of psychiatric disorders." Scientific Reports (2026). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-026-35968-7

University of Tartu public health researcher Laura Lõo helped develop new models that detect heart failure risk much earlier. There are two models in question, both based on standard health indicators. One is intended for assessing risk in the general population, while the other is specifically for people who have already experienced cardiovascular ailments. The overall aim is to identify higher-risk individuals as early on as possible, in order to delay or, where possible, wholly prevent the onset of the disease.

Read more from the scientific paper or from Novaator

Institute of Family Medicine and Public Health

Lõo, Laura, et al. "Data Resource Profile: Linking nationwide health and social registries in Estonia (BIG-HEART)." International Journal of Epidemiology 55.2 (2026): dyag027. https://doi.org/10.1093/ije/dyag027

Trending in social science

Young children who spend more time on screen-based activities and less time talking with adults tend to have weaker language skills, according to a recent study from the University of Tartu. The findings highlight that daily interaction – rather than screen limits alone – plays a key role in early language development.

Read more from the scientific paper or from Eureka

Institute of Psychology

Tulviste, Jaan, Tiia Tulviste, and Anni Tamm. "High screen time and low child-adult talk associated with poorer language development in early childhood." Frontiers in Developmental Psychology 4 (2026): 1787710. https://doi.org/10.3389/fdpys.2026.1787710

The LGBTIQ+ community is seen as the most hated target in the context of political violence, according to Estonia's youth, a recent study found.

Hostility toward sexual minorities is also becoming partly normalized in the view of the youth.

In Estonia, discussions about radicalization and political violence are usually framed through the lens of national security. At the same time, research shows that the most effective prevention work does not arise solely within security institutions, but within communities: In schools, youth centers, and in the family. It is especially important to involve young people themselves, the study found.

Read more from the scientific paper or from ERR

Johan Skytte Institute of Political Studies

Belova-Dalton, Oksana. "Perspectives of Estonian youth on the risk of political violence and its prevention in Estonia." Behavioral Sciences of Terrorism and Political Aggression (2026): 1-19. https://doi.org/10.1080/19434472.2026.2629899

How do domestic civil society organisations (CSOs) in Kosovo, Taiwan and Palestine engage internationally, circumventing obstacles caused by absence of universal recognition and United Nations (UN) membership? We address this question by comparatively analysing the activities of these “lightweights” and integrating two streams of research on CSOs and de facto states. Conceptually, the article engages with the actorness of domestic CSOs, by highlighting a range of methods utilised to facilitate de facto states’ international interactions and mobilise international support. We focus on specific issue areas and types of activities, highlighting various forms of CSO engagement with different audiences and the themes they seek to convey – such as state recognition, sovereignty and self-determination – through their outreach efforts. It appears that CSOs create a united front with de facto states’ foreign policy institutions and make some efforts to affect international affairs by drifting across (non)recognition settings.
Read more from the scientific paper

Johan Skytte Institute of Political Studies

Berisha, Butrint, and Eiki Berg. "Punching Above Their Diplomatic Weight: De Facto States’ Civil Society Organisations in International Affairs." Global Society 40.1 (2026): 73-98. https://doi.org/10.1080/13600826.2025.2478035