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Starting her life in a nature filled environment in a small town in Šilalės district, Dr. Ingrida Olendrautė found a passion in understanding how the world and living organisms work on a molecular level. Eagerness to learn led her to many extracurricular schools and activities which paved the way into studying Molecular Biology at Vilnius University. Within the first year Ingrida joined many different science outreach activities as well as started gaining experience in an experimental laboratory. Working on RNA methylation for over three years sparked her passion for RNA. Within later years of university, Ingrida became interested in astrobiology as well as synthetic biology.

As a fourth year student, she co-founded and led the first Vilnius-iGEM team (2014-2015). The inherited attitude for the iGEM competition continues to produce extraordinary results. Later, she moved to London, to study Genetics of Human Disease at a prestigious University College London where she switched focus from experimental to computational research while working on a Deep Learning model at the brand new Francis Crick Institute. While following academic route, Ingrida further moved to University of Cambridge to computationally study Molecular Biology of RNA viruses for her PhD qualifications. The composition of bioinformatics, RNA and Molecular Biology at this project captured Ingrida’s attention and she stayed for a few more years as a postdoctoral researcher, while engaging in teaching, collaborations and active public outreach. She did not stay passive in the RNA virus caused pandemic years and was actively involved in science communication, sequencing project initiation and leadership as well as advisory role for the COVID-19 council of Lithuanian prime minister Ingrida Simonyte. After this extensive proactive experience, Ingrida has recently joined the Lithuanian bioinformatics start-up VUGENE, where she’s embracing as much science as management and leadership qualities in her role as Chief Scientific Officer.