The First Student of the Medical Genetics Study Program Researches Lithuanian Origins: We Are Exceptional and Unique

“Students often believe that the only path open after the completion of their studies in Medical Genetics is that of clinical work. However, there are other professional paths associated with human genetics, for example, academic work,” says Dr Alina Urnikytė, a researcher at the Medical Faculty of Vilnius University. According to Dr Urnikytė, to become a good specialist, it is important to choose the area that you like most and pursue your career in it.

You were the first and initially, the only student in the Medical Genetics study programme at Vilnius University. What prompted you to embark on such an adventure, joining a study programme at its launch?

It was fate. I had studied for a Bachelor’s in Biotechnology at the University of Vic in Catalonia, Spain. After completing my studies there, I decided I would return home and so I started looking for a job in Lithuania. This is how I discovered the Department of Human and Medical Genetics in the Faculty of Medicine at Vilnius University. At the time, it was under the leadership of Prof. Dr Habil. Vaidutis Kučinskas. He proposed we meet for an interview. So, as soon as I was awarded my degree in Spain, I packed my things and returned to Lithuania. I attended the interview and I was offered a job that very day.

Having completed my Bachelor's studies, I was started to look into where I might continue my studies. I was considering something related to bioengineering, but when Prof Kučinskas suggested I consider the Master’s degree programme in Medical Genetics, I finally decided on it. In that year I really was the first and only student in the programme.

How were studies in Medical Genetics organised? Did you have regular lectures or study on an individual basis?

Lectures were combined with the lectures for students in other Masters' programmes or medical residency programmes. For example, the first semester was dedicated to the laboratory diagnostics subjects taught by Prof. Aušrelė Kučinskienė. Since I had had nothing to do with medicine before, it was extremely difficult for me. Later, in the second semester, it was much easier to study chemistry or informatics, because I had strong foundations in these subjects from my Bachelor studies. I was the only student in the first year, then I took maternity leave. When I returned to the second year of studies, there were six of us.

What are your memories of your study period? What was it like? What are your most memorable events from the Master’s programme?

I remember my Master’s studies as complicated and difficult. Medical genetics is an area of study which requires a lot of time. These studies are completely incompatible with work. I spent every evening with my books and notes. If you turned up at the lecture not knowing something, you were sure to be asked the same questions again and again in the next three lectures (laughing). So I tried to prepare for each lecture and this period was very intense.

Graduates from the Medical Genetics study programme usually choose to do clinical work. You have chosen the research path.

Yes, most graduates choose medical or laboratory work related to diagnostics. Some choose to study in the doctoral programme. However, I can’t tell you if they focus solely on scientific research, or combine it with diagnostics. During my studies, I realised that working in a laboratory or with patients, was not my vocation. My research path was also likely determined by the topic of my Master’s thesis, which was not related to medical genetics. Thanks to my thesis, I discovered that I would love to work with bioinformation the most.

I was fortunate enough to be offered a variety of jobs. I realised that if I started doing two jobs, I would end up spending most of my time on diagnostic work in a clinical setting, with very little time left for research, which I prefer. I think that as a professional, you have to choose one area you like and specialise in that area. It is impossible to combine several activities and be effective in all of them, inevitably, one or another area will suffer. That’s why I have chosen to follow the path of scientific research and I keep my focus on it.

Tell us about an area of your work that interests you and that you devote most of your time to.

The main areas of my research are the Lithuanian population, the origin of our population, and the analysis of the next-generation sequencing data. In other words, I analyse the Lithuanian genomic data and compare them with the data of the populations of other countries. At the moment, I am working on a project to identify how the Lithuanian genome has changed over generations at the evolutionary and microevolutionary levels.

During one of the interviews, you mentioned that “the Lithuanian nation is interesting for further research”. Why was that?

Analysing Lithuanian genetic data I notice exclusive and unique characteristics. Generally, the Basque population and the population of the island of Sardinia are considered pure populations in Europe in terms of their genetic makeup. They have for a long time been isolated, and at the European and global levels, are unique. It seems that Lithuanians are special in this respect as well. Studies have shown that we have a lot of genetic heritage from western hunter-gatherers, some genetic patterns from Scandinavian tribes and to a lesser degree, from the populations in the east.

Finally, what is your professional ambition or what are the questions you seek to answer in your career as a researcher?

My long term aim is to write a book about Lithuanians and their origins, based on my research.