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| Research Interests: | Epigenetics and biology of cancer, focusing on liquid biopsy for noninvasive diagnostics and personalized treatment purposes |
| Present Position: | Senior researcher, Vilnius University |
| Education: |
2020 – PhD in Biology, VU 2014 – MSc in Genetics, VU 2012 – BSc in Molecular Biology, VU |
| Experience (Past Positions): | 2025 - now – Senior Researcher, VU 2021-2025 – Researcher, VU 2020-2025 – Assistant, VU 2020-2025 – Researcher, NCI 2019–2020 – Junior Researcher, NCI 2018–2020 – Junior Assistant, VU 2016–2019 – Biologist, NCI 2012–2018 – Senior Specialist, VU |
| Subjects Taught: | 2020-2023 – Functional cell biology, lectures 2018-2023 – Functional cell biology, seminars 2014-2018 – Oncogenetics, laboratory training |
| Supervision of Doctoral Students: | Consultant – PhD candidate Benita Buragaitė-Staponkienė |
| Awards: | – Award for scientific achievements (2023), Vilnius University, 2024. – Best Doctoral Dissertation of 2020, Lithuanian Young Scientists’ Association, 2021. – Prof. Kazimieras Pelcaras Scholarship, National Cancer Institute, 2020. – For scientific publications in top-rated journals, National Cancer Institute and Vilnius University, 2020. – The First Berlin Chemie Award for the presentation “Predicting abiraterone acetate treatment resistance from blood-circulating androgen receptor variants in castration-resistant prostate cancer” at the 6th Baltic Meeting in conjunction with the EAU, Tallinn, Estonia, 2019. – The First Berlin Chemie Award for the presentation “Blood-circulating Androgen Receptor Variants as Markers for Progression and Response to Treatment in Prostate Cancer Patients” at the 5th Baltic Meeting in conjunction with the EAU, Riga, Latvia, 2018. – Award for the best poster presentation in the medical section “Blood-circulating Androgen Receptor Variants as Markers for Progression and Response to Treatment in Prostate Cancer Patients” at the international scientific conference The COINS, Vilnius, Lithuania, 2018. – VU Life Sciences Center Scholarship for excellent scientific achievements, 2018 – The Research Council of Lithuania Scholarship for doctoral students’ academic achievements, 2015-2018. – Winner of the Lithuanian Academy of Sciences Prize for the competition of scientific works of higher education students, work “Analysis of miRNA expression in prostate tumors”, 2014. – Laureate at the 7th Young Scientists Conference "Biofuture: Perspectives of Natural and Life Sciences", 2014. – Winner of the Lithuanian Academy of Sciences Prize for the Competition of Higher Education Students, work “Implementation of quantitative methods for the methylation of RASSF1 Methylation in breast cancer”, 2012. |
| Publications: | LABT_LMAVB PubMed_(Kristina Stuopelytė) PubMed_(Kristina Šnipaitienė) |
| Academic Cooperation: | Prostate Cancer Research Center, Tampere, Finland. Finnish Institute of Occupational Health, Helsinki, Finland. |
| Projects and Grants: | International grants and EU support: 1. European Social Fund under the “Development of Competences of Scientists, other Researchers and Students through Practical Research Activities”, project No 09.3.3-LMT-K-712-09-0125 “Androgen receptor variant analysis in blood of castration-resistant prostate cancer patients”, 2018, PI K. Stuopelytė. 2. European Social Fund under National Integrated Programme Biotechnology and Biopharmacy Grant VP1-3.1-ŠMM-08-K-01-005, 2012-2015, action 111.2 “Noncoding RNA for cancer diagnostics”, 2012-2015, implementer K. Stuopelytė. 3. European Social Fund under National Integrated Programme Smart Specialization Grant No. 01.2.2-LMT-K-718-01-0023 “Improved diagnostics and treatment of chronic periodontitis”, 2017-2021, implementer K. Stuopelytė. National Research Programmes and Projects: 4. Researcher groups' project by Research Council of Lithuania “Circulating miRNA profiling and functional analysis for peri-implant disease diagnostics and treatment”, No. P-MIP-24-290, 2024-2027, implementer K. Šnipaitienė. 5. Researcher groups' project by Research Council of Lithuania “Blood eosinophil subtype-specific miRNAs as biomarkers and treatment targets in asthma”, No. P-MIP-21-232, 2021-2023, implementer K. Šnipaitienė. 6. National Research Programme “Healthy ageing” by Research Council of Lithuania “Molecular tools for prostate cancer follow-up and treatment individualization”, No. SEN-09/2016, 2016-2018, implementer K. Stuopelytė. 7. National Research Programme “Chronic diseases” by Research Council of Lithuania “Development of molecular markers panel for the assessment of prostate cancer clinical significance”, No. LIG-14/2014, 2012-2014, implementer K. Stuopelytė. |
| Qualification Improvement, Certificates: | – August-September 2017 – research internship at the Prostate Cancer Research Center in Tampere, Finland (Prof. Tapio Visakorpi). Internship topic “Blood-circulating tumor cell analysis in prostate cancer patient samples”, No. COST-STSM-CM1406-38253. – 19 June 2017 – practical course “Ion Torrent S5 and Chef Workflow training”. – May-July 2016 – research internship at the Prostate Cancer Research Center in Tampere, Finland (Prof. Tapio Visakorpi). Internship topic “MiRNA expression analysis in tissue and blood of prostate cancer patients and controls”, No. COST‐STSM‐CM1406‐33745. – February-April 2015 – research internship at the Institute of Occupational Health in Helsinki, Finland (Prof. Kirsti Husgafvel-Pursiainen). Internship topic “DNA methylation analysis in lung and nasopharyngeal tumor samples”, No. ESF55. – 09 May 2012 – practical course “Viia7 Real Time PCR system and Real Time PCR applications”. |
| Research Dissemination: | – VU science popularisation journal SPECTRUM, No. 33, April 2, 2021 – Prof. Sonata Jarmalaitė and Dr. Kristina Šnipaitienė: “Gene Scissors in COVID-19 Diagnostics: Next-Generation Tests Deliver Results within 30 Minutes” – LRT programme “Science without Lectures”, April 8, 2021 – Prof. Sonata Jarmalaitė and Dr. Kristina Šnipaitienė: #13 “How Can ‘Gene Scissors’ Technology Improve COVID-19 Diagnostics?” |
| Other Related Activities: | RCL expert, 2026. |
| Languages: | Lithuanian (native), English, Russian |