Today, technology and information systems are important artificial partners in collecting and managing human data. At the conference, we will be presenting insights by researchers from the Centre of Excellence into the study of various aspects of well-being and the possibilities for supporting them. In particular, we will be focusing on how different technical applications can promote human well-being. We also be bringing you outside speakers from the forefront of well-being sciences, who are focusing on the study of behaviour and genetics, digital life and well-being.
At the Centre of Excellence for Well-being Sciences, launched in 2024, social scientists, IT scientists and naturalists are looking for new ways to measure, understand, and influence people’s well-being.
Researchers from the University of Tartu, Tallinn University, and Tallinn University of Technology have joined forces in the Centre of Excellence for the interdisciplinary in-depth study of well-being.
Program
9.30–9.55 Arrival and coffee break
09.55–10.00 Opening
10.00–10.30 Opening remarks and introduction of the Centre of Excellence Estwell. Andero Uusberg, Head of the Centre of Excellence for Well-being Sciences and Tartu University Professor for Affectice psychology
10.30–11.00 "Digital Life and (Mental) Well-Being: Estonian Human Development Report 2023 view". Katrin Tiidenberg, Tallinn University Baltic Film, Media and Arts School Professor for Participatory Culture
11.00–11.30 "Genetics of Video Games and Links to Various Indicators of Well-Being". Abdel Abdellaoui, Amsterdam University Medical Center Assistant Professor
11.30–12.00 "Digital Society’s Double Marginalisation Dimension – a Perspective on the Well-Being of Older People and Rural Areas". Kadri Leetmaa, Tartu University Associate Professor for Human Geography
12.00–12.15 Health break
12.15–12.45 Disentangling the Link between Creativity and Technology Use: Individual Differences in Smartphone and Social Media (Over)Use. Dr. Christian Montag, Professor for Molecular Psychology at Ulm University, Germany
12.45–13.15 "Building Well-Being Through the Health App: Beauty and Pain". Kadri Haljas, founder an CEO of Triumf Health
13.15–14.15 Lunch
14.15–15.15 Parallel workshops
Workshop I: "Sensor Technologies For Assessing Physiological Well-Being", demo area. Room: NRG- 422
Kristjan Pilt, Deniss Karai, Ivo Fridolin (TalTech)Workshop II: "How are Health Data, the Health Portal and Human Well-Being Related?. Room: SOC-210
Peeter Ross, Janek Metsallik (TalTech)Workshop III: "The impact of wellness apps on quality of life - methodological pitfalls to avoid in research". Room: SOC-310
Priit Kruus, (TalTech)IV TalTech Building Tour in Estonian and English
15.30–17.00 Reception for the participants and networking
Speakers
Andero Uusberg is a Professor for Affective Psychology at the University of Tartu and Head of Research at the Centre of Excellence for Well-being Sciences. Together with the Tartu University´s Affect and Regulation Research Group, led by him, he deals with the hotter side of people – feelings, desires and the possibilities for managing them. In addition to basic research, Andero promotes the application of psychology and other behavioural sciences to solve societal problems.
Katrin Tiidenberg is Professor for Participatory Culture at the Baltic Film, Media and Arts School of Tallinn University. She has published several books on social media use and digital cultures. Katrin leads the Participatory Well-being Research Group at the Centre of Excellence of Well-Being Sciences and the international research project TRAVIS, which explores how trust and reliability are experienced in visual and digital well-being communication.
Kadri Haljas, Doctor of Psychology, is the founder and CEO of Triumf Health. Triumf Health has created an internationally award-winning Triumfland Saga app that teaches children mental health management skills. Kadri promotes the development of evidence-based innovation in the field of well-being and mental health.
Abdel Abdellaoui is a geneticist who has been involved in a wide range of studies on psychiatric genetics, behavioural genetics, and population genetics. He studies how our genes influence complex behavioural outcomes, but also how collective behaviours, such as migration and mate-choice, influence the genetic make-up of populations.
Kadri Leetmaa is an Associate Professor of Human Geography and Head of the Department of Geography at the University of Tartu. At the Centre of Excellence for Well-being Sciences, she leads a socio-spatial context research group. Its main research topics are the short-term impact on well-being of the social and physical space surrounding people (human space) and in the long-term (human life-cycle) perspective, and the new forms of socio-spatial inequality in society (e.g. digital divides in an ageing society).
Dr. Christian Montag is Professor for Molecular Psychology at Ulm University, Ulm, Germany. He works at the intersection of psychology, computer science, neuroscience and behavioral economics. He investigates how AI and digital services such as social media impact on individuals and societies. www.christianmontag.de
Deniss Karai is an engineer at Tallinn University of Technology. He is engaged in the development of prototypes and the registration and analysis of physiological signals.
Ivo Fridolin is a tenured full professor in the Department of Health Technologies at Tallinn University of Technology and the CTO of Optofluid Technologies OÜ. Ivo and his research team are pioneers in optical dialysis dose monitoring methodology and technology, and in developing a methodology for assessing physiological well-being based on multi-parametric physiological measurements in the urban space.
Peeter Ross is a professor of e-health and a radiologist, and the co-founder of the doctoral and master’s programmes in Digital Health. He is one of the creators and implementers of the Estonian Health Information System, which has gained international recognition.
Janek Metsallik is the leading architect of the Estonian National Health Records development project and improvement plans for the secondary use of health data in several other countries, which shapes the study of the macro-level architecture of digital health in several universities.
Priit Kruus is the creator, researcher and lecturer of digital health solutions. Priit has led research topics in digital dermatology through doctoral studies and supervision of students’ master’s theses. Priit brings clinically validated digital dermatology technologies into routine use in Estonia and Germany – both in diagnosing skin cancer and improving the treatment of psoriasis.
Kristjan Pilt is a senior researcher in the Department of Health Technologies at Tallinn University of Technology. His research has been related to the development of methods for determining the condition of arteries and monitoring of blood pressure for the purposes of the early diagnosis of cardiovascular diseases, as well as the development of a methodology for assessing physiological well-being based on multiparametric physiological measurements in the urban space.
Registration
Participation in the conference is free of charge, but requires prior registration. When you enter, you must provide the QR code you received when you registered.
Space is limited. If, after registration, it turns out that you cannot participate, please let us know at martin.kriisemann@taltech.ee.
Additional information
The conference is in Estonian, except for presentations by foreign speakers. The conference has simultaneous translation in the Estonian-English direction.
The event will take place at the Student House of Tallinn University of Technology (Ehitajate tee 5, 19086 Tallinn). Entry is through the main door, signposts help visitors reach the Student House.
The organizers reserve the right to make changes to the program.
