PhD. Mait Metspalu

Mait Metspalu studied geography and molecular biology and evolution at the University of Tartu where he also defended his PhD on phylogeography of human mtDNA in South Asia in 2006. In 2012-2013 Mait was a visiting research fellow in UC Berkeley.

His research concentrates on using and developing population genetics approaches to understand the genesis of the genetic diversity patterns of humans through reconstructions of past population movements, splits and admixtures as well as adaptations to local environments (both natural and manmade). During the few past years Mait has also started a dedicated ancient DNA program aiming mostly at reconstructing population changes in the East European Plain since the Paleolithic.

He became the vice-director (2010) and subsequently the director (2014) of the Estonian Biocentre, the leading research institute in Estonia in the interdisciplinary and interconnected fields of evolutionary genomics, population genetics and archaeogenetics. EBC merged with Estonain Genome Center in 2018 and Mait became the director of the new Institute of Genomics, University of Tartu in 2018.