Mari Palgi

Mari Palgi is a Senior specialist at Tallinn University of Technology's School of Science, Department of Chemistry and Biotechnology. She has been with the university since 2012, initially as a Research Fellow and then as a Senior specialist since 2017. Her career spans molecular biology, neurobiology, and developmental biology research with a focus on Drosophila models.

Education:

• Doctor's Degree (2012), University of Helsinki: "Characterization of Drosophila melanogaster MANF – an evolutionarily conserved neurotrophic factor"
• Master's Degree (1987), University of Tartu: "About the influence of thyroxine on the snRNP localisation in rat cardiomyocytes"

Mari Palgi's research focuses on neurobiology, molecular biology, and developmental biology, with particular expertise in Drosophila (fruit fly) models. Her work has explored neurotrophic factors like MANF, transcription factors such as TCF4, and their roles in neural development, learning, and neurodegenerative diseases. She has made significant contributions to understanding how these molecular mechanisms relate to human conditions like Pitt-Hopkins syndrome and Alzheimer's disease.

Her publication record shows a consistent progression from basic molecular genetics in Drosophila to applications in human neurological disorders. Recent work focuses on Alzheimer's disease mechanisms, copper metabolism, and gene regulation in intellectual disability and autism spectrum disorders, demonstrating how fundamental research in model organisms can inform our understanding of human neurological conditions.

Scientific Awards:

• II prize in Estonian national research contest for doctoral students in bio- and environmental sciences (2013)
• The Best Poster Prize #1 from Estonian Society of Human Genetics (2012)
• The Best Publication of the Year Prize in Developmental Biology from The Finnish Society of Developmental Biology (2009)
• The Best Poster Prize from Drosophila Neurobiology Conference Committee (2006)

Mari Palgi has secured research funding as principal investigator for projects on Drosophila transcription factors and participates in multiple collaborative grants totaling over 1.5 million euros. She serves as an academic reviewer for doctoral theses internationally and has organized significant scientific meetings including the Scandinavian II Drosophila Researchers Meeting. She teaches a practical course of invertebrate molecular biology for Master's students focusing on Drosophila and yeast techniques.

Her current research focuses on gene regulation in intellectual disability and autism spectrum disorders, cognitive longevity through lifestyle interventions, and copper metabolism in neurodegenerative diseases, working within Tallinn University of Technology's neuroscience research group.