Lili Milani is a scientist whose work connects Estonia’s genetic research with everyday healthcare. As Head of the Estonian Biobank and Professor of Pharmacogenomics at the University of Tartu, she leads projects that bring precision medicine closer to reality.
Born in Sweden to Persian parents, Lili moved to Estonia as a teenager and found her path in science early. After earning a PhD in molecular medicine from Uppsala University, she returned to Tartu, joining the Estonian Genome Centre at a time when the idea of large-scale genetic data shaping healthcare was still emerging.
Since then, the Estonian Biobank has become a reference point for how a small country can lead in cutting-edge health innovation.
Her research team focuses on pharmacogenomics – understanding how our genes influence the way medicines work in our bodies. This includes exploring genetic risk factors for heart disease, mental health conditions, and other complex illnesses, with the aim of creating treatment plans that are safer and more effective for each individual.
As the newly appointed Head of Estonian Biobank, she oversaw the 2024 launch of MyGenome, an online portal that allows the biobank participants to view their own genetic data, from health risk assessments to traits like caffeine metabolism. For many Estonians, it was the first time such information was available in a clear, personal format – marking a step towards integrating genetics into routine healthcare.
Lili’s career has also been defined by collaboration. She works with international research teams, mentors young scientists, and contributes to large-scale projects that link data science, medicine, and biology.
For Lili Milani, the goal is simple but ambitious – to make healthcare personal, predictive, and preventive. By turning genetic insights into practical tools, she is helping build a future where medicine in Estonia doesn’t just treat illness, but understands each person it serves.
Video: Kristjan Taal
Rooted in Estonia concept
Lili Milani stands in a wide, open field – a figure between nature and knowledge. She knows that roots run deep, like the genes she studies – those quiet sequences that shape who we are and how we live.
Around her: Estonian landscape. Ahead: a future of precision medicine, shaped by data and guided by care.
This isn’t just a field. It’s a metaphor for inheritance – wild yet ordered, ancient yet full of promise. Just as every blade responds to the wind in its own way, each genome carries its own story. Milani reads these stories not in poetry, but in code – ensuring that what happens in labs becomes something that helps real people, in real lives.
Here, where tradition meets technology, she reminds us: innovation doesn’t always look like a machine. Sometimes it wears mustard yellow and listens – not just to what we say, but to what our bodies quietly carry forward.
Concept: AD Angels
Clothing: Lilli Jahilo
Styling: Marion Laev
Jewellery: Anneli Tammik
Photo: Krõõt Tarkmeel
Video: Kristjan Taal
Location: Kakumetsa grain field, Tartumaa
Funded by the EU – NexGenEU
