OUR TEAM
Reet Kurg
Team Leader
Reet Kurg received PhD in 2000 from University of Tartu and had additional training in USA (Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas) and Sweden (Stockholm University). Main expertise is biochemistry, molecular biology and molecular engineering. Head of the Core Facility for Cell Technologies, Professor of Molecular Biomedicine.
Kristiina Kurg
Research Fellow
Graduated 2017 from University of Tartu (MD), finished her residency in 2022 (laboratory medicine), defended her PhD in 2025 (liquid biopsy markers in melanoma). Has been involved in development of CE IVD kits in Icosagen and worked in Switzerland during her studies.
Lisbeth Verk
Specialist
Lisbeth did her BSc in our group and then her MSc in Lund university. She is now back in our group working on methyltransferases
Marleen Tilga
MSc student
Marleen did her Bachelors in our group and now is continuing on with her MSc
Adiya Raimkul
BSc student
Adiya is currently doing her Bachelors in our group
Margit Mutso
Research Fellow
Margit Mutso received PhD in biotechnology in 2016 (University of Tartu), had additional training in UK (Centre for Virus Research, University of Glasgow) and post-doc in the Institute for Glycomics, Griffith University, Australia. She has been part of vaccine development platforms of Chikungunya and Zika virus.
Baiba Brumele
PhD student
Baiba Brumele received BSc in Latvia (Latvijas Universitate) in 2018 and MSc at University of Tartu in 2021. She defended her PhD in our group in 2025. NB! Check out her introduction video via Youtube link!
Kerstin Rõuk
MSc student
Kerstin is a MSc student doing her masters in our group.
Paulina Alicja Blok
BSc student
Paulina is currently doing her Bachelors in our group
Paulina Lo Luik
BSc student
Paulina is currently doing her Bachelors in our group
Eve Toomsoo
Laboratory technician
Eve Toomsoo is responsible for confocal microscopy and flow cytometry, DNA and protein purification, data and material storage.
Mihkel Suija
PhD student
Mihkel Suija finished his MSc in our group and he started his PhD program in our group in September 2024 with a focus on RNA methyltransferases
Liina Küttis
MSc student
Liina is currently working in our group after doing her Bachelors at TÜMRI (Institute of Molecular and cell biology).
Marta Malsub
BSc student
Marta is currently doing her Bachelors in our group
ALUMNI
Piia Kivipõld
PhD
Piia Kivipõld (Uusen) did her PhD about Studies on the role of papillomavirus E2 proteins in virus DNA replication from 2007 to 2016. She currently works as a product manager at NOVA.
Anneli Samel
PhD
Anneli defended her PhD about the topic 'Unveiling the characteristics of cancer-testis antigen MAGEA10' in February 2024. She currently works in Icosagen. NB! Check out her introduction video via Youtube link!
Kadri Õunap
PhD
Kadri Õunap did her PhD on the topic of The Williams-Beuren syndrome chromosome region protein WBSCR22 is a ribosome biogenesis factor from 2010 to 2017. She currently works at the Kuopio Center for Gene and Cell Therapy as a senior scientist.
Olavi Reinsalu
PhD
Olavi Reinsalu received MSci (gene technology) in 2015 from the University of Tartu. After that he worked for three years in the Competence Centre on Health Technologies (Tartu, Estonia). He defended his PhD in 2022 in our group. He now works with prof.Zadin in the EV field. NB! Check out his introduction video via the Youtube link!