Professor Saarma is a very reputable researcher who has been constantly at the forefront of science. He has a background in molecular neuroscience and has recently investigated the biology of neurotrophic factors and their therapeutic applications. He has discovered several glial cell line-derived neurotrophic factor (GDNF) receptors. His research team was the first to solve the peculiarities of the crystal structure of the GDNF-GFRα1 receptor complex. He has developed small molecule GDNF mimetics that can protect nerve cells. He has discovered a new neurotrophic factor – brain dopamine neurotrophic factor CDNF – which, together with the homologous protein MANF (neurotrophic factor derived from midbrain astrocytes), forms a new family of evolutionarily conserved neurotrophic factors.

According to Google Scholar, Saarma's work has been cited 28,802 times, and his h-index is 79. Saarma has been active in the practical application of research results in the biotechnology and pharmaceutical industries. He holds a number of patents, patent families and several research or licensing agreements with international pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies. Saarma is or has been a member or chair of scientific councils in several national and international institutions: vice president of the European Research Council, member of Estonian Research and Development Council, chair of the Heidelberg Neuroscience Center and a member of the EU Human Brain Project. He is also a member of the Estonian Academy of Sciences, an external member of the Finnish Academy of Science and Letters, a member of the Finnish Academy of Technology, a member of Academia Europaea and a foreign member of the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences. His achievements have been recognised with the Estonian Order of Merit of the White Star (Second Class), the Knight, First Class, of the Order of the White Rose of Finland and the Commander of the Order of the Lion of Finland.