Published: 20-10-2020 12:50 | Updated: 23-10-2020 07:26

New Professor of Reproductive Medicine starts at the Division of Obstetrics and Gynecology, CLINTEC

Photo: private, provided by Andres Salumets

Andres Salumets has been appointed as Professor of Reproductive Medicine at the Division of Obstetrics & Gynecology, Department of Clinical Science, Intervention and Technology - CLINTEC.

The chair was established with a generous grant from a Swedish Company - Vitrolife (10 MSEK/5 years) and will be co-financed by the Center for Innovative Medicine - CIMED.

Professor Salumets is 49 years old and from Estonia. He has an educational background in biochemistry, animal physiology, embryology and genetics. He did his PhD at the University of Helsinki, Finland (2003). He has worked as a researcher and as an embryologist in IVF clinics in Helsinki and Tallin. Since 2010 he has been working as a Professor of Reproductive Medicine at the University of Tartu, Estonia.  

Professor Salumets has published approximately 200 scientific papers including some in high impact journals, such as, Nature Medicine, and prestigious journals in the field of reproductive medicine, like Fertility Sterility, Human Reproduction etc.

He has an excellent track record of getting international research grants and has been the PI or coordinator of several FP7 and Horizon 2020 grants. The funded Horizon 2020 project MATER (PI Salumets), involves both KI and University of Tartu will include 14 PhD students and focus on different aspects of reproductive biology and medicine, including embryo – maternal communication in implantation and pregnancy. Another Horizon 2020 project - ERIN, where KI is a partner, will focus on ethical issues related to reproductive medicine, like the use of assisted reproductive technologies and fertility preservation. Professor Salumets’ research will be complementary to existing research at the division and will also boost already existing collaborations.

He plans to start new research projects related to endometrial receptivity, reproductive toxicology, preimplantation and prenatal genetic diagnosis and stem cell biology in close collaboration with the excellent research groups already working in this field at the Division of Obstetrics and Gynecology at CLINTEC, Karolinska Institutet. In addition, it is expected that prof Salumets´ research will contribute to improve the clinical outcomes of IVF/ART with the application of innovative novel technologies and deep learning (artificial intelligence).