Dr Aiste Steponenaite
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About
Dr Aiste Steponenaite has completed her PhD in Neuroscience from the Medway School of Pharmacy, University of Kent. Her PhD project, conducted in collaboration with the University of Oxford, focused on investigating the contribution of the leak two-pore domain potassium channel, TRESK, in regulating behavioral and molecular circadian rhythms.
Following the completion of her PhD, Dr Steponenaite held a postdoctoral position, during which she and Prof Gurprit Lall received Leverhulme Grant funding for a project exploring the aging of the circadian clock.
In 2023 Aiste joined the Medway School of Pharmacy as a lecturer in Biological Sciences.
Research interests
Dr Steponenaite’s research is focused on circadian rhythms – the 24 hour cycles regulating our sleep-wake cycle and other bodily functions.
Her PhD project investigated the role of the leak potassium channel TRESK in regulating behavioral and molecular circadian rhythms. Her work on TRESK highlighted its significance as a key regulator of nocturnal suprachiasmatic nucleus dynamics and light adaptive responses, leading to its publication in Nature Communications (Lalic et al., 2020).
Currently Dr Steponenaite’s research focuses on the link between circadian rhythms and health, with special emphasis on sleep and neurological disorders. Her work explores the ageing effects on the circadian master clock, circadian variations in pain perception, Alzheimer’s impact on biological rhythms, and the implementation of circadian interventions in care settings. Dr. Steponenaite also investigates the broader health implications of daylight saving time adjustments, seeking to translate her findings into actionable strategies for improved patient care and wellbeing.
Supervision
I welcome self-funded PhD students with interest in sleep and circadian research to get in touch about opportunities to work with me.
Professional
Committees:
NATS Early Career Researcher (ECR) representative at the Kent REF Steering Group (University of Kent)
MSOP representative at the Faculty Learning Enhancement Group (University of Greenwich)
Other:
Member of the Circadian Mental Health Network ECR Advisory Board