Dr. Viktorija Vaštakaitė-Kairienė

ORCiD iD: 0000-0002-4724-6644
Tel. +370 37 555 217
E-mail: viktorija.vastakaite-kairiene@lammc.lt 
Kauno St. 30, Babtai, LT-54333 Kaunas dist., Lithuania

Education           

2013–2017 PhD studies in Agricultural Science, Agronomy, Institute of Horticulture, Lithuanian Research Centre for Agriculture and Forestry. 

2011–2013 Master degree in Applied Biochemistry, Faculty of Natural Sciences, Vytautas Magnus University.

2007–2011 Bachelor of Biology qualifying degree, Faculty of Natural Sciences, Vytautas Magnus University.

Academic degrees and pedagogical titles

2018 PhD in Agronomy (Aleksandras Stulginskis University (since 2019 Vytautas Magnus University Agriculture Academy) together with Lithuanian research centre for agriculture and forestry. The doctoral dissertation “The photophysiological aspects for the management of metabolites and mineral elements in Brassicaceae microgreens”.

Research fields

• Physiological studies in plant pathology
• Harvest quality preservation

Position

Since 2022 Chief Researcher, Laboratory of Plant Physiology, Institute of Horticulture, LAMMC.

Since 2022 Associate Professor, Vytautas Magnus University Agriculture Academy, Lithuania

Since 2022 Vice-chair at Lithuanian Academy of Sciences Young Academy

Memberships and affiliations with professional organizations

• Since 2022 Board member at the Young Academies Science Advice Structure (YASAS)

• Since 2022 Alumni council member and mentor at Baltic-American Freedom Foundation

• Since 2020 Member of the Young Academy of the Lithuanian Academy of Sciences

• Since 2019 Member of the European Plant Science Organisation (EPSO), Belgium

• Since 2017 Member of the International Society for Horticultural Science (ISHS), Belgium

• Since 2014 Member of the Lithuanian Society of Plant Physiologists, Lithuania

Involvement in programmes and projects

• 2023–2026 Project funded by Research Council of Lithuania (LMTLT) “The management of mineral nutrition to control the quality and safety of postharvest leafy vegetables” (NutriSafe), leader.

• 2020–2023 Biological plant protection strategies: boosting sustainability-orientated competitiveness in controlled environment horticulture (BIOCLED). European Regional Development Fund (No. 2.2-LMT-K-718-03-0035) under grant agreement with the Research Council of Lithuania; project implementer.
• 2022 Biodiversification of plant species and explication of corresponding precision agriculture technologies within nutrition-based approach (DiverCEA). Research Council of Lithuania; project implementer.
• 2021–2022 Management of target metabolites of industrial hemp for the development of COVID-19 symptom relief products (TerpenCoTech). European Regional Development Fund (No. 01.2.2-LMT-K-718-05-0039) under a grant agreement with the Research Council of Lithuania; project implementer.
• 2020–2022 Influence of light and dark conditions on photophysiological response and production of leafy vegetables in closed-system horticulture. European Social Fund (No. 09.3.3.-LMT-K-712-19-0101) under grant agreement with the Research Council of Lithuania; senior researcher-postdoctoral student.
• 2020 Development of a database of specific parameters of plant pathogens for disease diagnosis by nondestructive methods. RTO Lithuania under an internal Green Deal funding scheme. Funding Center for Physical Sciences and Technology, Lithuanian Energy Institute and Lithuanian Research Centre for Agriculture and Forestry. 2020 May 22 order CV-1-55 by LAMMC; participant.
• 2019–2022. Light as a tool of biofortification: photophysiological aspects of essential trace elements management in leafy greens (BIOFERTILED). Research Council of Lithuania (No. S-MIP-19-2); primary project implementer.
• 2018–2019 Project financed by the European Union Structural Funds “Establishment of innovative criteria for detection of cereal diseases in the latent phase and development of complex disease forecasting and control system” (J05-LVPA-K-03-0118); participant.
• 2015–2018 “Control of nitrate reduction in green vegetables: metabolic effects of light and other environmental factors” (NIMETA) according to the Research Council of Lithuania supporting activity Researcher teams’ projects; participant.
• 2015 Project of European Social Fund and the Lithuanian government Integrated Science, Studies and Business Centre (Valley) of Nemunas implementation of the program, strengthening partnerships and institutions, according to the measure of R&D thematic networks, associations Reinforcement (No. VP-3.1-ŠMM-05-K-02-018); participant. Duchovskis P., Brazaitytė A., Samuolienė G., Viršilė A., Vaštakaitė V. 2015. Status of photophysiological researches and perspective of their application in crop production. Studio. Vilnius, LAS, ISBN 978-9955-9371-9-7, 92 p.
• 2014–2020 European Union Funds Investment Priority 1 “Research, development and innovation” means “Intellect. General education-business projects”, “Intellect LT” project “The development of the chemical elements determining from the plant image system using aerodistance-spectrometric methods”; participant.
• 2014–2018 “Remote sensing based assessment of woody biomass and carbon storage in forests” (REMBIOFOR). The National Centre for Research and Development in Poland; participant.

SCIENTIFIC PUBLICATIONS (click the link here)