Objectives

The overall objective of the project is to hire a team of outstanding researchers to facilitate structural changes at University of Tartu to form an integrated Centre for Genomics, Evolution and Medicine with deep focus on exploiting genomic medicine in an evolutionarily-aware framework to advance personalized medicine solutions for disease prevention, diagnostics and treatment.

By establishing the ERA Chair position at the Centre for Genomics, Evolution and Medicine (cGEM) the project aims to achieve its scientific vision and contribute significantly to the European Research Area by:

1. Strengthening the competence base of the cGEM, thereby creating a new frontier of science at the host institution regarding personalised disease management, particularly in admixed populations.
2. Facilitating inter- and multidisciplinary research across the boundaries of different structural units at the University of Tartu, covering evolutionary genetics, functional genetics/genomics and translational clinical research.
3. Educating the next generation of researchers by providing them with skills necessary for multi- and trans-disciplinary research for their own benefit and to better serve the modern society.
4. Taking concerted actions to move towards a vision of enterprising university at the cGEM.
5. Establishing and executing a new knowledge management strategy for encouraging entrepreneurial behaviour and more collaborative ties with industry at national, European and global scale.
6. Establishing and executing a new funding and sustainability strategy for more diversified research funding and more successful participation in international competitive research funding programmes.
7. Increasing the visibility of unique research capabilities and infrastructure (including the unique biobanks) of the cGEM and the University of Tartu in general for more international research collaboration.