Vice Rector for Development Tõnu Esko

Date and place of birth 
27 January 1985, Vändra 

Education 
2009–2012 University of Tartu Faculty of Science and Technology, doctoral studies in gene technology
2007–2009 University of Tartu Faculty of Science and Technology, master’s studies in biotechnology and biomedicine 
2004–2007 University of Tartu, bachelor’s studies in gene technology 
2001–2004 Nõo High School 

Academic degree 
2012 PhD (Gene Technology)

Career 
2021–… University of Tartu Institute of Genomics, Professor of Human Genomics
2018–2023 University of Tartu Institute of Genomics, Deputy Director  
2020–2021 University of Tartu Institute of Genomics, Research Professor of Human Genomics 
2018–2021 Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, USA, Research Scientist 
2018–2020 University of Tartu Estonian Biobank, Senior Research Fellow of Population and Functional Genomics 
2016–2021 Boston Children’s Hospital, USA, Visiting Research Fellow 
2015–2018 National Bureau of Economic Research, Cambridge, USA, Visiting Research Fellow 
2016–2017 University of Tartu Estonian Biobank, Deputy Director 
2015–2017 University of Tartu Estonian Biobank, Senior Research Fellow of Population and Functional Genomics  
2015–2017 Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, USA, Postdoctoral Research Fellow (Prof. Eric Lander’s group) 
2012–2015 Boston Children’s Hospital, USA; Harvard Medical School, USA, Postdoctoral Research Fellow (Prof. Joel Hirschhorn’s group) 
2012–2013 University of Tartu Estonian Biobank, Research Fellow 
2007–2012 Estonian Biocentre, Specialist  

Community activities 
2023–… CDL-Estonia (Creative Destruction Lab), Chief Scientist of the Digital Society stream 
2013–… member of the American Society of Human Genetics 
2007–… member of the Estonian Society of Human Genetics 
2021 curator of the summer exhibition “Trinity – Science. Art. Fiction” of Voronja Gallery 
2013–2019 international conference Gene Forum, chair of the scientific programme committee  
2016–2019 editor of the journal eLife 
2010–2017 member of the council of the University of Tartu Estonian Biobank 
2010–2013 international conference Gene Forum, member of the scientific programme committee 
2008–2011 student representative in the council of the University of Tartu Faculty of Science and Technology 

Main fields of research 
Genetic variation in European populations, genetic architecture of complex phenotypes, longevity genetics, genetics of personality traits, biotechnology, health-related research such as biochemistry, genetics, microbiology, molecular biology, cell biology, biophysics and bioinformatics, medical informatics, biomathematics and biometrics.