EstWell seminar Associate Professor Maie Bachmann: Making Sense of Brain Signals with EEG Markers
2025-06-02 16:00 - 17:00 (Europe/Tallinn) | TalTech, Akadeemia tee 3-LIB-109B, Tallinn, Tallinn, Estonia
Brain signals recorded with electroencephalography (EEG) may look like random noise at first glance, yet within this “noise” lies valuable information about our mental state. To uncover it, we develop and apply a variety of EEG markers. In the seminar I will present our latest results— which markers have proven more effective, what we have discovered so far, and how this approach paves the way for personalised mental-health care.

EstWell seminar Professor Ivo Fridolin: What is the benefit of sensor technologies to wellbeing sciences?
2025-06-09 16:00 - 17:00 | TalTech, Akadeemia tee 3-LIB-109B, Tallinn, Tallinn, Estonia
Well-being sciences are classically associated with the fields such as psychology, public health and social sciences. This is also reflected in the structure of EstWell, where the majority of research groups are representatives of these fields. However, innovation has more favorable opportunities to emerge in an interdisciplinary research environment. The research group Sensor Technologies in Biomedical Engineering at the Department of Health Technologies of Tallinn University of Technology mainly cultivates engineering science, helping to strengthen the cross-disciplinary dimension in the center of excellence for well-being sciences.
Developments in sensor technologies, which enable more miniaturized, portable and non-invasive biomonitoring, offer several interesting options also in the direction of well-being sciences. The lecture aims to reflect this – for example, how sensor technologies could help improve the well-being of patients on end-stage renal replacement therapy and how the photoplethysmographic signal could be used for individual-based assessment of stress levels. It also provides a brief insight into the question “Does the small research group at Tallinn University of Technology have a role in the discovery and patenting of new metabolic biomarkers in the current frenzy of ‘omics’ research?”

Seminar Professor Luiz Pessoa: The entangled brain
2025-06-12 16:00 - 17:00 | University of Tartu, Näituse 2-102, Tartu, Estonia
Luiz Pessoa (University of Maryland) is a leading figure in both psychology and neuroscience. His research has meticulously dismantled the traditional separation of cognitive and emotional processes in the brain, laying the groundwork for integrated human neuroscience.
In this talk, Professor Pessoa will discuss how cognition, motivation, and emotion can only be understood as entangled phenomena.

EstWell Annual Conference
2025-08-25 10:30 - 2025-08-27 16:30 | Pühajärve spa hotell, Pühajärve küla, Otepää, 67414, Estonia
The annual grand gathering of the members and friends of the Centre of Excellence for Well-Being Sciences
EstWell Annual Conference Programme*
*Sessions marked with ENG are held in English; all others are in Estonian. The programme may have changes.

25 August

Moderator Merike Sisask
10.30 Welcome coffee and snacks
11.00 Introduction to the conference
11.30 Introduction to the Centre of Excellence, Andero Uusberg
12.00 Keynote of the day: Kaytlin Werner – Self-Regulation in Context: Why Managing Our Emotions and Behaviors Isn’t One-Size-Fits-All (ENG)
Whether we’re managing stress, resisting temptation, or working toward long-term goals, self-regulation is rarely as simple as choosing one strategy, using it, and then disengaging – instead, success often depends on context. In this talk, I share findings from my research on three key processes: strategy repertoire (the tools we have available when pursuing our goals), regulatory flexibility (the benefits of selecting the right tool for the right moment), and polyregulation (combining multiple strategies within a single regulation episode). Together, these studies reveal that there is no single “best” way to regulate our emotions and behaviour. Instead, effective self-regulation comes from matching the right strategies and tactics to the situation at hand. I’ll close by discussing how these insights can inform the development of personalized, real-time interventions designed to support people’s regulation efforts in daily life.
Kaytlin Werner’s research integrates the fields of emotion and motivation regulation using experience sampling and experimental methods. After postdoctoral fellowships in Toronto, Oregon, and Stanford, and before starting her professorship in Adelaide, Kaytlin will join the University of Tartu’s Affective and Regulatory Processes Lab for a year.
13.00 Lunch
14.00 Breakthrough projects, session chair Andero Uusberg
What are the breakthrough projects (LMP) of the Centre of Excellence? How are the ongoing projects progressing, and what new ones could be initiated? This session serves as an introduction to the LMP workshops on Tuesday.
15.00 Coffee break
15.15 New applications, session chair Taavi Tillmann
What new useful applications have EstWell researchers launched this season?

Personality app “Personomist”, Kätlin Anni
Biosensing in stepped mental health services, Ivo Fridolin and Merike Sisask
Database of assessment instruments, Tuuli Ruus

16.15 Poster conference, session chair Merike Sisask (ENG)
What research results have EstWell PhD students taken out into the world this season?
18.00 Dinner
19.00 Outdoor landscape game
21.00 Board Games

26 August

Moderator Uku Vainik
7.30 Well-being Run & Walk – starting in front of Pühajärve Spa
9.30 Keynote of the day: Anu Realo (ENG)
Anu Realo (PhD in Psychology) is a personality and cross-cultural psychologist. She is a Professor at the University of Warwick and Tallinn University, as well as a Visiting Professor at the University of Tartu. Her research focuses on cultural and individual variation in personality traits, subjective well-being, values, and social capital. She currently leads a major project on sustainable futures, funded by the European Commission. In her talk, she will discuss her research on subjective well-being both within and between individuals and cultures.
10.30 Coffee break
10.45 New data collections, session chair Kelli Lehto
What new data collections are being developed by researchers and partners of the Centre of Excellence?

LongEstWell, Mare Ainsaar
Upcoming “Cognitive Work” study by the Estonian Biobank, Uku Vainik
LongEstWell in the Health Portal, Peeter Ross and Kadi Lubi
Mental well-being app Mentastic, Ain Aaviksoo

12.05 Lunch
13.00 Workshops

Workshop “Policy analysis – how this is done?” Triin Lauri (ENG)Curious about what makes a policy work? Wondering how to study not just what happens, but why – and for whom?

This interactive 1.5-hour workshop explores key tools for analysing policies in welfare and education. It’s designed not just for political scientists, but for all social researchers interested in real-world effects.
We’ll ask:When and why use Difference-in-Differences?What is a Regression Discontinuity Design, and when does it shine?What’s configurational analysis (like QCA) – and is it for those who think policy is messy? (Spoiler: yes)How can we assess feasibility – and predict whether a policy can or should work?What do Street-Level Bureaucrats have to do with it – and how do they shape what policies actually become?
No matter your disciplinary angle – sociology, education, economics, public health – policy questions will find you. This workshop helps you think more clearly about what counts as good evidence, how to ask sharper questions, and how to turn insights into useful policy advice.
2. Workshop “Human-centred and personalised prevention – recipe for success or shortcut to failure?” Karin Streimann, Triin Vilms (EST)National and international strategies, development plans, and funding schemes increasingly highlight the need for novel, human-centred solutions to prevent and address complex societal problems. Preventive research has also focused largely on the individual or micro-level environment and on developing and testing solutions in those contexts. This approach assumes that complex problems can be prevented or mitigated without changing the surrounding systems. This workshop will discuss:
How does the lens of justice and equity relate to human-centred preventive solutions?What are the disciplinary and level-based differences in approaching and influencing problems?Which types of solutions are current research and development focused on, and where should the future focus lie – on influencing individual competencies and behaviour or on systemic factors such as environmental restructuring, pricing and tax policies, or regulations?How can we shift the perspective from human-centred to system-focused prevention? Do we see a need for this, and what role can we play in this transition?
3. Workshop “Inclusive Research Design in the Field of Mental Health and Well-Being” Merike Sisask (EST)
The Social Health Research Group invites you to take part in a workshop where we will explore how to make research in the field of mental health and well-being inclusive throughout the entire research process – from shaping research questions and designing the study to interpreting the results and achieving societal impact. We will discuss the role of target groups in preparing and conducting the research, interpreting data, and disseminating findings. The workshop draws on specific experiences from international projects (DigiGen, MENTBEST, MINDWORK) as well as doctoral theses that have employed creative and participatory approaches. We will address the benefits and limitations of participatory research, and highlight the importance of researchers’ creative and reflective thinking. The workshop offers space for exchanging experiences and supports participants in exploring questions and dilemmas that have emerged in the context of their own research.
14.30 Break
15.00 New insights into well-being from a micro perspective, session chair Jekaterina Reut
What have we newly learned about the psycho–physiological mechanisms of well-being?

Health behaviour and emotional experience, Kenn Konstabel
Measuring molecular markers of mental health, Jekaterina Reut
Language models and emotion regulation, Andero Uusberg
How do language and music tune the brain?, Kairi Kreegipuu

16.30 Coffee break
16.45 Breakthrough project meetings
Parallel discussions for those interested in breakthrough projects, sign-up during the conference
18.30 Dinner
20.00 Party

27 August

Moderator Uku Vainik
7.30 Well-being Run & Walk – starting in front of Pühajärve Spa
9.30 Keynote of the day: Henk van Steenbergen (ENG)
Henk van Steenbergen studies the interplay of emotion, motivation, stress, and cognitive control using both psychological and neuroscientific methods. He is Associate Professor at Leiden University and head of the Affective, Motivation and Action Lab. Research in health psychology has long suggested that positive emotions have numerous beneficial effects on health and cognition, which may be partially attributed to their stress-buffering capabilities. In this talk, I will highlight recent studies from my lab that demonstrate how positive emotions can mitigate stress and expand the mind. I will show how exposure to virtual nature positively impacts stress-related physiology and helps buffer stress reactivity when participants face stressful tasks. In line with the idea that positive affect can open the mind and broaden the scope of attention, I will then present evidence for the role of endogenous opioids in this modulation. Finally, I will demonstrate how a unique micro-level perspective on studying stress can enhance our understanding of the temporal dynamics of integral affect triggered by cognitive tasks. This approach aids in comprehending how stress arises and potentially predicting and understanding resilient functioning.
10.30-10.45 Coffee break
10.45-12.15 New approaches to familiar problems, session chair Rene Mõttus
What have we newly learned about the large-scale patterns of well-being?

Genetic links between adult ADHD symptoms and well-being and health, Triinu Varvas
How to Support Well-Being through Urban Nature? Book Presentation “Söödav Linn 2: 15 aastat Eesti linnaaianduse arengut”, Bianka Plüschke-Altof
Mapping school-based prevention ecosystems, Eike Siilbek
Health meaning-making in social media, Katrin Tiidenberg

12.15 Hotel check-out
12.30 Lunch
13.30 Workshops

Workshop “Digital agile testing for interventions” Taavi Tillmann (ENG)Digital health and well-being services can be implemented on a spectrum. On one end, we have rigorous evidence-based purists who want large trials before any roll-out. On the other, there are those advocating for earlier implementation based on public demand, political momentum, expert opinion, or perceived low risk.

Most real-world cases land somewhere in between – with opportunities to test what works. Digital interventions allow us to run multiple agile experiments in quick succession due to short feedback cycles.
Taavi will share a case of running four agile trials within four weeks during a London digital service rollout, showing how tweaks to SMS and postal messages (including “final reminder” phrasing) dramatically improved uptake. The workshop invites participants to explore how we could apply such agile methods when introducing new services.
2. Workshop “Practical AI tools for researchers – current landscape” Kari Kuulman (EST)Artificial intelligence is no longer futuristic hype – it’s a daily tool that can reshape how we do research. But which tools should we use, and how can we smoothly integrate AI into research, teaching, and supervision workflows?
15.00 Coffee break
15.30 PhD students networking session (ENG) / Open Council Meeting
17.00 End of conference

EstWell fireside chat with Emeritus Professor Mark Williams
2025-09-17 14:00 - 16:00 | EBS Tallinn, A.Lauteri tn 3, Tallinn, Estonia
Location: EBS Tallinn (A.Lauteri 3, room 415)
On September 17, we will welcome Professor Mark Williams, Emeritus Professor of Clinical Psychology and Senior Research Fellow at University of Oxford, for a fireside chat with researchers. This is a pre-registration event. All the researchers from EstWell and participants from TOKO and Vaikuseminutid are warmly welcome to attend.
Mark Williams is a leading figure in clinical psychology and the founding director of the Oxford Mindfulness Centre (2008–2013). He is widely recognised for co-developing mindfulness-based cognitive therapy (MBCT). His research has focused on psychological models and the treatment of recurrent depression, as well as the experimental cognitive psychology of processes that increase the risk of suicidality. A central aim of his work has been the prevention of suicidal depression through mindfulness-based approaches.
This informal discussion offers researchers an opportunity to reflect on the intersections of science, clinical practice, and lived experience. The conversation will be moderated by Maris Vainre and will allow space for both dialogue and questions.

EstWell seminar Cracking the ERC Grant Code: Lessons from the Winners Kelli Lehto & Triin Lauri
2025-09-23 11:00 - 12:00
Securing an ERC Starting Grant is a career-changing achievement—but also a daunting process. In this webinar, two successful applicants will walk us through their experiences: how they shaped their proposals, navigated setbacks, and what they learned along the way. Expect insights, practical advice, and candid reflections.
Read more here.

EstWell seminar Vascular Well-being of Renal Replacement Therapy Patients – Can Science Turn Back the Clock?
2025-10-07 11:00 - 12:00
The seminar will be conducted by Annika Adoberg, a PhD student and Junior Researcher at the Centre for Biomedical Engineering, Department of Health Technologies, TalTech. Annika Adoberg is part of the Centre of Excellence research group on sensor technologies in biomedical engineering.
Chronic kidney disease (CKD) poses a significant challenge not only to physical health but also to social and psychological well-being, especially in situations where dialysis becomes the only option for survival for the patient. CKD is not limited to the accumulation of uremic toxins and persistent microinflammation, but also provides a model for studying accelerated aging. Vascular calcification in CKD patients is associated with increased cardiovascular risk and has implications for mental health and cognitive function. Elucidating its mechanisms and translating this knowledge into prevention and treatment strategies is a scientific priority and the creation of innovative solutions will help improve the quality of life of CKD patients and hold promise for promoting the future well-being of patients.

EstWell visitor seminarEconomic evaluations – in science and practice
2025-10-13 16:00 - 17:30
Healthcare decisions rely not only on clinical effectiveness but also on whether interventions provide value for the resources they require. Full economic evaluations offer a structured way to guide these choices by weighing both costs and consequences.

In this combined lecture, we will examine the limits of clinical trial data and highlight the role of decision modelling in filling evidence gaps. We’ll consider when to develop core models versus adapt existing ones, with practical examples, and then walk through the typical HTA submission process. Finally, we will look at the European HTA framework of 2025, and its implications for research and practice.

Riina Hallik (MSc, MMSc, RN) is a lecturer and master thesis supervisor in TalTech’s Digital Health curriculum and a member of the ethics committee of the Health Development Institute (TAI). In addition, co-founder of two Estonian digital health startups and a mentor. She has 12+ years of experience in research projects and was Estonian representative in European Taskforce for Harmonised Evaluation of Digital Medical Devices (DMDs) at EIT Health.

Riina will cover the following topics: what economic evaluations are and why they are needed, the main methods of full economic evaluation, and the limitations of using clinical trial data

Chiara Malmberg (MMSc) is a research manager at IHE (The Swedish Institute for Health Economics) and also several years of experience also in Mapi Group and ICON plc. In total she has 10+ years consulting experience in working with health economic studies, market access and HTAs. She has primarily worked with systematic literature reviews, health economic modelling as well as submissions to HTA organisations within Europe and Canada. Recent years focus has been on economic modelling including early economic models, core model development as well as model adaptations focusing on the Nordic countries.

Chiara will cover the purpose and role of decision modelling, provide an overview of core models versus model adaptation with examples, explain the typical HTA submission process, and give an overview of European HTA 2025.

EstWell seminar Community-based research in the field of mental health and well-being
2025-10-21 11:00 - 12:00
The research seminar introduces the main research directions of the social health care research group and focuses on the role of communities in supporting mental health and well-being. How can we strengthen mental health ecosystems and community responsibility across different life stages and social contexts? The presentations will feature practical examples from ongoing research projects.
The seminar will be conducted by members of EstWell’s Social Health Care Research Group:
Merike Sisask, Professor of Social Health Care at Tallinn University
Käthlin Mikiver, PhD student and junior researcher at Tallinn University
Stella Täht-Vaik, PhD student and junior researcher at Tallinn University
Rainer Mere, SEKMO PhD student, Estonian-Swedish Mental Health and Suicidology Institute (ERSI)

EstWell seminar Selected recent work on well-being and individual differences
2025-11-04 11:00 - 12:00
At the seminar, members of the Personality and Well-Being Research Group will give a joint presentation:
Karin Täht and Toivo Aavik – “Associations Between Sexual Desire and Demographic Variables Based on Data from the Estonian Biobank”
Emily (Hongzhen) Cheng – “Necessary Condition Analysis as an Alternative Predictive Tool”
Maris Vainre – “Effectiveness of Smartphone Apps for Mental ill-Health”

EstWell seminar Brain Bioelectrical Signals Research Group: Recent work on EEG individual differences and functional connectivity
2025-11-18 11:00 - 12:00
The seminar will be led by Maie Bachmann, Associate Professor of Biosignal Processing at Tallinn University of Technology; researcher Laura Päeske; doctoral student-junior researcher Tuuli Uudeberg; and research assistant Maive Hanni.

The Building Blocks of Resilience: How Connection and Regulation Protect Mental Health
2025-11-28 11:00 - 14:30 | Baltic Media and Film School, Narva mnt 27, Tallinn, Estonia
Registration is open here.
The symposium will take place at Tallinn University’s Baltic Film, Media and Arts School (BFM), Narva mnt 27, room N-407, and on Zoom, depending on the participation option you selected in the registration form.
Human resilience is built on connection and the capacity to regulate our emotions. This symposium brings together experts from public health, psychology, and media studies to examine how connection and emotion regulation support mental well-being across diverse populations and communities. Broad topics include the growing need to understand vulnerability and strengthen resilience in modern society (Merike Sisask), how adapting our emotion regulation to different situations supports resilience (Kaitlyn Werner), the role of regulation in experiences of solitude and mental health (Thuyvy Nguyen), and how these dynamics unfold in digital communities (Katrin Tiidenberg). Together, the talks reveal how understanding connection and regulation can strengthen mental health across diverse populations and contexts.
Dr Thuy-vy T. Nguyen is an Associate Professor of Psychology at Durham University (UK) and the Principal Investigator of the Solitude Lab. Her pioneering research examines how spending time alone (solitude) affects emotions, thoughts, and wellbeing, and she has co-authored the book Solitude: The Science and Power of Being Alone.
Dr Kaitlyn M. Werner is a Research Fellow in Affective Psychology at University of Tartu. Her interdisciplinary work uses multi-method approaches to explore self-regulation, emotion regulation, measurement, and well-being across contexts, emphasizing advanced quantitative methods and reproducible research practices.
Prof Katrin Tiidenberg is Professor of Participatory Culture at the Baltic Film, Media and Arts School, part of Tallinn University. Her research focuses on people’s social-media practices — especially visuality, sex, political participation — and interrogates identity, community, norms and power. She leads major international projects, including on digital trust and technologies of wellbeing.
Prof Merike Sisask is a Professor of Social Health Care at the School of Governance, Law and Society (SOGOLAS) of Tallinn University and a board member of the Estonian-Swedish Mental Health and Suicidology Institute (ERSI). She was the editor-in-chief of the Estonian Human Development Report 2023 “Mental Health and Well-being”. Her main research areas include the social determinants of mental health and well-being, suicide prevention, and community-based mental health prevention programmes and their evaluation.

Program:
11-13 Presentations
13-13:30 Lunch
13:30-14:30 Panel discussion

EstWell seminar Emotional Landscapes: Where Happiness Lives and How to Serve It on Your Plate
2025-12-02 11:00 - 12:00
At the seminar, Kadri Leetmaa, Anto Aasa, and Jürgen Pikk from the Social-Spatial Context Research Group, and Kairi Kreegipuu from the Brain and Cognition Research Group will speak.
This presentation explores how the social and physical characteristics of people’s living environments shape their mental health and life satisfaction. Using mental health and contextual data from the Estonian Population Mental Health Study (2021–2022), we identify which environmental factors—ranging from neighbourhood social characteristics to green space availability—exert the strongest influence on wellbeing, and assess how these measured contextual indicators compare to individuals’ sociodemographic and psychological profiles in explaining mental health outcomes. We also compare the effects of perceived greenspace exposure with objectively measured greenspace metrics, showing that the two are not directly related and operate through different pathways in shaping wellbeing.

EstWell seminar University of Tartu Research Group on Well-Being Studies
2025-12-16 11:00 - 12:00

EstWell seminar Prevention Research Group
2025-12-30 11:00 - 12:00

EstWell seminar E-Health Research Group
2026-01-13 11:00 - 12:00

EstWell seminar Social Media and Participatory Culture Research Group
2026-01-27 11:00 - 12:00

EstWell seminar Health Behaviour and Mental Health Research Group
2026-02-10 11:00 - 12:00

EstWell seminar Psychopathology Mechanisms Research Group
2026-03-10 11:00 - 12:00

EstWell seminar Biofunctional Materials Research Lab
2026-03-24 11:00 - 12:00

EstWell seminar Behavior and Genetics Research Group
2026-04-07 11:00 - 12:00

EstWell seminar Affect and Regulation Research Group
2026-04-21 11:00 - 12:00

EstWell seminar Development and Education Research Group
2026-05-05 11:00 - 12:00

EstWell seminar Public Health Research Group
2026-05-19 11:00 - 12:00

EstWell seminar Interaction Design Research Group
2026-06-02 11:00 - 12:00

EstWell seminar Attention, Brain, and Cognition Research Group
2026-06-16 11:00 - 12:00
