Elin OrgView profile
Professor
Elin Org is a Professor of Microbiomics at the University of Tartu's Institute of Genomics, where she also serves as Head of the Estonian Genome Centre and Vice Director of the Institute. Her academic career spans over two decades with significant contributions to microbiome and genomic research. Education: PhD in Genetics, University of Tartu (2006) Master's Degree in Molecular Biotechnology and Biomedicine, University of Tartu (2000) Bachelor's Degree, University of Tartu (1997) Classical Singing, Heino Eller Tartu Music School (1996) Professor Org's research primarily focuses on the intricate relationships between host and gut microbiota and their influence on metabolism and common complex diseases. Her work bridges microbiomics, genomics, and complex disease research, with particular emphasis on understanding how gut microbiome composition affects human health. She has pioneered research connecting long-term antibiotic usage with microbiota-dependent effects and has made significant contributions to understanding the role of gut microbiome in conditions such as gestational diabetes, endometriosis, and polycystic ovary syndrome. Her approach integrates advanced computational methods with comprehensive health data to uncover causal relationships in microbiome research. Her recent publications demonstrate a strong trend toward integrating microbiome data with extensive digital health metrics, using machine learning approaches to identify microbial predictors of health outcomes. This work is increasingly focused on translating microbiome research into clinical applications for disease prediction and personalized medicine approaches, particularly in the context of the Estonian Biobank initiative. Major Scientific Recognition: 2025 National Science Award in medical and health sciences 2023 and 2022: Recognized among the world's top 1% most cited researchers by Clarivate Analytics 2020: Member of AcademiaNet, a portal for top female researchers 2017: EMBO Installation grant 2013: Marie Curie International Outgoing Fellowship Professor Org has secured substantial research funding as principal investigator for multiple significant projects, including 'DISCERN - Discovering the causes of three poorly understood cancers in Europe' (€245,466, European Commission) and 'Improving colorectal cancer screening and prediction using microbiome-based biomarkers' (€760,450, Estonian Research Council). She has served as an opponent for numerous PhD theses across European institutions, contributing to the development of emerging researchers in her field. As Head of the Estonian Genome Centre, Professor Org leads a multidisciplinary research team that plays a crucial role in Estonia's transition from biobanking to personalized medicine applications. She is actively involved in international collaborations through COST networks including INFOGUT (focused on in vitro colon models) and ML4Microbiome (statistical and machine learning techniques in human microbiome studies), positioning her at the forefront of global microbiome research initiatives.
