Maris Vainre

Maris Vainre is a Research Fellow in Welfare Research at the University of Tartu's Faculty of Social Sciences, Institute of Psychology, with additional affiliations as a Visiting Research Fellow at the University of Melbourne's Contemplative Studies Centre. Holding a PhD in Medical Sciences from the University of Cambridge (2024), her research spans psychology, public health, and behavioral science with a focus on mindfulness interventions, mental health, and well-being studies.

Her research interests center on mindfulness-based programs, mental health interventions, behavioral science applications, and well-being research, with particular emphasis on adolescent psychology, workplace applications, and public health implementation. Vainre has made significant contributions to understanding how mindfulness practices affect cognitive skills, behavior, and mental health across different populations, including students, teachers, and working adults.

Her recent publication trend shows extensive work on the MYRIAD trial and SWELL study, examining school-based and workplace mindfulness interventions. These studies employ rigorous methodologies including randomized controlled trials, meta-analyses, and longitudinal assessments to evaluate effectiveness, cost-benefit relationships, and implementation factors of mindfulness programs across diverse settings.

• University of Tartu Institute of Psychology's Best Newcomer in Science 2025 (for publishing three articles in highly influential psychology journals within a single year)
• Milo Keynes Prize nomination for Outstanding Dissertation 2024 from University of Cambridge School of Clinical Medicine
• Journal of Behavioural Public Administration Best Paper Award 2021 for research on tax compliance nudging

Vainre has served as a scientific advisor to Estonia's Ministry of Social Affairs and contributed to numerous behavioral intervention projects, including nudging initiatives for tax compliance, personal protective equipment usage, and unemployment benefit recipients. She has also been involved in crisis preparedness projects and served on the scientific council for prevention.

Her methodological expertise includes advanced data analysis (R, NVivo, SPSS), programming (Python, JavaScript), and multilingual research (Estonian, English, German, Spanish, Russian, French), supporting her interdisciplinary approach to mental health and well-being research.