VU MF Researchers Met With Human Genomics Experts From the Catholic University of Leuven at the ECHO Project General Assembly

On March 2–3, the General Assembly of the ECHO (Expanding Concept and Methodology for Human Past Studies in the Eastern Baltics Countries) project was held at the Department of Human Genetics of the Catholic University of Leuven (Belgium), bringing together project partners from the University of Tartu, the University of Latvia, Vilnius University (VU), the University of Copenhagen and the Catholic University of Leuven.

Representatives of the VU Faculty of Medicine, Centre for Human Bioarchaeology and Paleogenetics of the Translational Health Research Institute, Dr Justina Kozakaitė and Assoc. Prof. Ingrida Domarkienė, who is participating in the project, attended the meeting.

The meeting discussed the work already implemented, a review of the debriefing meeting with European Commission experts, and planned measures and actions to take into account the experts’ comments and suggestions. “The assembly included planning of future work, discussions on how to better achieve the goals of the project. The networking session was particularly inspiring: we had the opportunity to meet with prominent scientists working in the field of human genomics at the Catholic University of Leuven – Dr Wouter Bossuyt (Genomics Core Facility), Prof. Peter Claes (Imaging Genetics Lab), Prof. Joris R. Vermeesch (Cytogenetics and Genome Research) Prof. Maarten H. D. Larmuseau (Human Genetic Genealogy Lab). Ideas were shared, scientific opinions were exchanged, and valuable connections were established “, said Assoc. Prof. I. Domarkienė, who participated in the event.

The international project ECHO in the Baltic States has been implemented under the Horizon Europe Twinning program since 2024 and is coordinated by the University of Tartu.