# Kaur Jaanson (@kjaanson.eurosky.social)

Profile: https://sifa.id/p/kjaanson.eurosky.social
Headline: Staff/Senior ML Engineer, Gene Technology PhD
Location: Tallinn, Harjumaa, Estonia

## About

Interested in machine learning/AI, programming, art/design, photography, general exploration and wierdness of life...

Used to be molecular biologist with interest in synthetic biology, now mostly work with data.

## Career

- **Staff Machine Learning Engineer at Zendesk** (Apr 2024 - Jun 2026)
  Full-time
- **Senior Machine Learning Engineer at Klaus** (Feb 2022 - Apr 2024)
- **Data & Applied Scientist at Microsoft** (Jan 2020 - Jan 2022)
  Full-time
  Working in Microsoft IC3 Fraud Data Science team to analyse and develop metrics for fraud, abuse and spam pattern analysis. Designed and setup of data-science backend environments that would allow team members to conduct analysis and prototype machine learning solutions. Productionized initial ML model prototypes created by data-scientists. Working on internal compliance reviews to make sure that teams’ data-science solutions would be compliant with company's privacy and security standards.
- **Fraud R&D Specialist at Skype Technologies** (Jan 2018 - Jan 2020)
  Full-time
  Working in Fraud Data Science team to analyse and develop metrics for fraud, abuse and spam pattern analysis. As a part of this tasks included initial data exploration, feature engineering and later prototyping, productionizing and monitoring of machine learning models. Also worked on developing and maintaining teams services and developing best practice guidelines.
- **Data Scientist at Esensorics** (Apr 2014 - Jan 2018)
  Data analysis backend development (PHP, Pyhon). Frontend development with Backbone/Marionette.
- **Researcher at Tallinn University of Technology** (Sep 2008 - Jan 2018)
  Tallinn, EE
  Worked in laboratory of Prof. Tõnis Timmusk as a part of my Masters’ and PhD studies on BDNF regulation. During this took part in generating and characterising bacterial artificial chromosome (BAC) transgenic mice for BDNF regulatory studies (Koppel et al. 2009 & 2010). Developed BAC transgenic cell lines for screening regulators of BDNF transcription (Jaanson et al. 2014). Worked on optimising BAC transfection into primary neuron and astrocyte cultures to study BDNF regulation (Koppel et al. 2017).
- **Software Developer at Centre of Food and Fermentation Technologies** (Jan 2016 - Jun 2016)
  Tallinn, EE
  Spectral data analysis pipeline migration from Matlab to Python/Jupyter. Analysis software prototyping using Python Flask.
- **Researcher at Competence Center for Cancer Research** (Jul 2009 - Jul 2015)
  Tallinn, EE
  Worked on screening and profiling of Trk receptor family antagonists for drug candidates. As a part of this developed transgenic cell culture based screening system for screening TrkA antagonists and agonists.

## Skills

### Other
- Algorithms
- Amazon Web Services (AWS)
- Azure
- Azure Databricks
- Biochemistry
- Bioinformatics
- Cell Biology
- Cell Culture
- Data Analysis
- Data Mining
- DNA
- Docker
- Genetics
- Git
- Javascript
- Jupyter/IPython
- LaTeX
- Life Sciences
- Linux
- Machine Learning
- Mammalian Cell Culture
- Matlab
- Microscopy
- Microsoft Azure
- Molecular Biology
- Molecular Cloning
- MySQL
- PCR
- Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR)
- PostgreSQL
- Programming
- Project Management
- Python
- Python (Programming Language)
- qPCR
- R
- R Programming
- Research
- Research and Development (R&D)
- Science
- Scientific Writing
- Scikit-Learn
- Sequencing
- Software Development
- SQL
- SQL Azure
- Western Blotting

## Publications

- Dopamine cross reacts with adrenoreceptors in cortical astrocytes to induce BDNF expression, CREB signaling and morphological transformation. — GLIA (Oct 2017) http://doi.org/10.1002/glia.23238
- Indole-like Trk receptor antagonists — European Journal of Medicinal Chemistry (Jun 2016) http://doi.org/10.1016/j.ejmech.2016.06.003
- BAC-based cellular model for screening regulators of BDNF gene transcription — BMC Neuroscience (Jun 2014) http://www.biomedcentral.com/1471-2202/15/75
- BAC transgenic mice reveal distal cis-regulatory elements governing BDNF gene expression — Genesis (Feb 2010) http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2978326/
- Tissue-specific and neural activity-regulated expression of human BDNF gene in BAC transgenic mice — BMC Neuroscience (Jun 2009) http://www.biomedcentral.com/1471-2202/10/68

## Education

- **Tallinn University of Technology** — Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.), Gene Technology (Jan 2009 - Jan 2015)
- **Tallinn University of Technology** — Master’s Degree, Gene Technology (Jan 2007 - Jan 2009)
- **Tallinn University of Technology** — Bachelor’s Degree, Gene Technology (Jan 2004 - Jan 2007)
- **Estonian Information Technology College** — Bachelor’s Degree, Software Development (Jan 2003 - Jan 2004)
  Withdrew application

## Courses

- Principles of Flourescence Techniques, Madrid, 2010
- Mouse Phenotyping, EMBO Practical Course, Zurich, 2011

## Awards

- Students’ research prize, second place (2009)

## Languages

- Estonian (native)
- English (professional working)