Uku Haljasorg

Uku Haljasorg is a Research Fellow at the University of Tartu's Faculty of Medicine, Institute of Biomedicine and Translational Medicine, where he has been working since 2016 as a Junior Research Fellow of Molecular Pathology with a 50% appointment. He previously held positions as an Assistant in Human Biology (2017-2020), Research Fellow of Molecular Immunology (2018-2020), and Laboratory Specialist (2013-2015), all at the University of Tartu. He also completed a postdoctoral fellowship at the Weizmann Institute of Science (2018-2020).

His educational background includes:

• Doctoral Degree in Immunology (2017), University of Tartu
• Master's Degree in Molecular and Cellular Biology (2011), University of Tartu
• Bachelor of Biology (2008), University of Tartu
• Miina Härma Gymnasium (2003)

Haljasorg's research focuses on immunology, particularly molecular mechanisms of central tolerance in the thymus, AIRE (Autoimmune Regulator) gene function, T cell development, and autoimmune diseases. His work bridges basic immunology with translational applications, as evidenced by recent publications exploring therapeutic approaches for breast cancer and mRNA delivery systems. His research often involves mouse models to investigate fundamental immunological processes.

His publication record shows a progression from foundational work on AIRE gene regulation and thymic tolerance mechanisms to more applied research in drug delivery systems and cancer immunotherapy. Recent publications (2021-2023) demonstrate an expansion into peptide-based therapeutic approaches for targeting tumor-associated macrophages and mRNA delivery systems.

His scientific achievements have been recognized with several awards:

• 2017 Personal research grant for postdoctoral research from the Estonian Research Council
• 2015 Andreas and Elmerice Traks stipend from the Tartu University Foundation
• 2015 DoRa 8 stipend from the European Social Fund
• 2014 COST-ENTIRE Spring School for Translational Immunology poster prize
• 2013 DoRa 6 stipend from the European Social Fund

Haljasorg has participated in multiple research projects, including "The mechanisms of immune tolerance" (2013-2018), "Epigenetic regulations in immune tolerance" (2010-2012), and "Thymic tolerance mechanisms" (2007-2012), primarily as a team member under principal investigator Pärt Peterson. His collaborative work extends across multiple institutions including the University of Tartu and Weizmann Institute of Science, with numerous co-authorships on publications spanning immunology, dermatology, and cancer research.