Kertu Liis Krigul and Velle Toll became members of the Estonian Young Academy of Sciences

The Estonian Young Academy of Sciences (EYAS) accepted nine new members, including Research Fellow of Microbial Communities Kertu Liis Krigul and Associate Professor in Climate Physics Velle Toll from the University of Tartu.

Research Fellow of Microbial Communities Kertu Liis Krigul defended her doctoral thesis “The gut microbiome at the interface of human health and disease” at the University of Tartu in 2024. This year, her research group received the national research award in the field of medical and health sciences for the series of works “The relationship between the gut microbiome and health – a new perspective in health research”.

Associate Professor in Climate Physics Velle Toll leads the University of Tartu research group on the climate impact of human activities and air pollution particles. An international study led by Toll received the University of Tartu research award in 2024. The extraordinary discovery by researchers of the Centre for Climate Research of the Institute of Physics revealed that anthropogenic air pollution causes snowfall and reduces cloud cover in industrial hot spots.

As many as 27 young researchers applied to become members of the EYAS. When selecting new members, the applicants' scientific achievements and motivation to participate in the academy’s work were evaluated. The applicants’ research fields and institutions were also considered to achieve as diverse a representation of researchers as possible within the organisation.

Besides young researchers from the University of Tartu, the new members of the EYAS include physicist Kristjan Põder from MuRayTech OÜ, Research Fellow of the Archaeological Research Collection Monika Reppo and Associate Professor of the Archaeological Research Collection Astrid Wendel-Hansen from Tallinn University, Head of Defence Analysis Group-Researcher Eleri Lillemäe from the Estonian Military Academy, Senior Researcher of the Department of Civil Engineering and Architecture Tuule Mall Parts, Assistant Professor of the Department of Chemistry and Biotechnology Maksim Ošeka and Senior Researcher of the Department of Chemistry and Biotechnology Kärt Mätlik from Tallinn University of Technology.

The EYAS was established in 2017 as an independent organisation focusing on the research topics of young researchers. Its goal is to represent the voices and interests of young researchers in Estonia, contribute to the development of research and society, and explain and increase the role of researchers in society.