Vice Rector for Research Mari Moora

Date and place of birth
19 March 1966, Rapla

Education
1994–1998 University of Tartu Institute of Botany and Ecology, Chair of Plant Ecology, doctoral studies
1984–1989 Tartu State University, Faculty of Biology and Geography (Genetics)
1984 Nõo Secondary School 

Academic degree
1998 PhD (Plant Ecology and Ecophysiology) 

Career 
2023–... University of Tartu Vice Rector for Research  
2021– … University of Tartu Institute of Ecology and Earth Sciences, Professor in Community Ecology
2020 University of Tartu Institute of Ecology and Earth Sciences, Research Professor in Community Ecology
2003–2020 University of Tartu Institute of Ecology and Earth Sciences, Senior Research Fellow
2001–2003 University of Tartu Institute of Botany and Ecology, Research Fellow 
2000 University of Helsinki Viikki Biocentre, Postdoctoral Researcher 
1998–2000 University of Tartu Institute of Botany and Ecology, Research Fellow  
1992–1998 University of Tartu Institute of Botany and Ecology, Senior Laboratory Technician 
1989–1992 Estonian Agrobiocentre, Junior Research Fellow 
1983–1983 Estonian Research Institute of Animal Breeding and Veterinary Science, Laboratory Technician

Community activities 
2022–… member of the University of Tartu council 
2021–2023 head of the University of Tartu Chair of Plant Ecology 
2020–… member of the European Research Council Starting Grant panel 
2020–… member of the University of Tartu honorary decorations committee
2020–2023 member of the council of the University of Tartu Institute of Ecology and Earth Sciences 
2019–2023 member of the Biodiversity, Ecology and Evolution expert panel of the Flemish Fund for Scientific Research (FWO) 
2019–2022 member of the evaluation panel of the programme “Biodiversity Exploratories” of the German Research Foundation (DFG) 
2010–… European Commission, grant proposal expert-evaluator (ENV) for calls under the research and innovation framework programmes 
2003–… Reviewer for several scientific journals (e.g. Ecology, Ecology Letters, Journal of Ecology, New Phytologist, Oikos, Journal of Applied Ecology, Journal of Vegetation Science) 
1993–… member of the International Association for Vegetation Science (IAVS)  
2015–2022 European Commission, vice chair of the ENV panel of Marie Skłodowska-Curie Individual Fellowships under the research and innovation framework programmes 
2019–2021 chair of the academic staff evaluation committee of the University of Tartu Faculty of Science and Technology 
2019–2020 European Commission, vice chair of the evaluation panel of the calls under Societal Challenge 2 of the programme Horizon 2020 
2017–2019 Vice Dean for Research and Development of the University of Tartu Faculty of Science and Technology 
2017–2019 member of the council of the University of Tartu Faculty of Science and Technology 
2011–2016 Academic Editor of the journal PLOS One 

Main fields of research 
The mechanisms affecting the diversity of plant communities in time and space. The role of ecological relationships (e. g. plant competition, mycorrhizal symbiosis, relationships with soil microbes) in shaping plant communities. The variability of mycorrhizal symbiosis and of the participating plant and fungal species on local and global environmental gradients.

Supervised theses and dissertations
Five doctoral theses, nine master’s theses