Ugnė Endriulaitytė – a specialist in regulatory affairs and research

Meet Ugnė Endriulaitytė, our Biocodex Phame team member in Lithuania and let her tell how she manages to balance different work tasks with free time and how to incorporate research skills and knowledge into her work in Regulatory Affairs.

Can you tell us about your background and education that led you to your current position at Biocodex Lithuanian affiliate?

“I finished Lithuanian University of Health Sciences as Medical and Veterinary Biochemistry Bachelor and later graduated from Vyautas Magnus University, where I got an Analysis of Biochemistry master’s degree. While studying for my bachelor’s degree, I started to work at Drug Target Histopathology laboratory where I met my college Migle Paškevičiūtė, who at the time was working at the lab too. She started working at Biocodex and after some time she asked me if I would be interested in joining the company as well. I have this rule: Be kind to anyone because you never know what kind of opportunities it can bring you.”

Ugnė has been working as a Junior Regulatory Affairs Specialist in Biocodex part-time since 2022, with her main tasks in regulatory and food supplements matters. In addition, she works at the university lab as a Junior Researcher diving into the world of cancer cells and the anticancer activity of natural or synthetic compounds.

“The thing I enjoy the most about working as a Junior Regulatory Affairs Specialist is that I can align two very different types of work. Working in the lab is more practical, as we call wet work, while regulatory affairs tasks are paperwork. In this way, there is no routine in every day life. Also, I enjoy working with foreign companies as it is an opportunity to see how things are going in different companies and what opportunities and challenges we get. In this type of work, it is important to keep up with the newest information and new regulations”, Ugnė tells.

Plan, plan and plan

Balancing the demands of her role as a Junior Regulatory Affairs Specialist and her responsibilities as a Junior Researcher may seem demanding, but Ugnė is an expert in time management. She reveals that planning is her cornerstone. “On Mondays, I plan all work for the week. In this way, I can see what must be done everyday and plan my time accordingly.” Ugnė thinks that working as a Junior Researcher helped her to master planning and time management. “Another thing which helps me in Biocodex work is improved English language. In researcher work, you have to find information,  read and write in English, so this helps me now when I  work with colleagues and companies from different countries.”

Ugnė’s day begins at 6 a.m. allowing her to tackle urgent tasks with a fresh mind. She says it also helps not to be overwhelmed by urgent tasks later in the day. Ugnė usually starts her day at the university and then returns to the desk to do Biocodex tasks. “Good thing we have so great remote network now, that you can work anywhere you are.”

Balancing office tasks, lab work, and leisure

When Ugnė is asked about her endless energy and time management secrets, she highlights the importance of sleep. “Another rule which I follow: never work on weekends. Weekends are for family, friends, and hobbies, as well as recharging the inner battery for next week. So, on workdays, I prioritize work, on weekends myself.” After work, Ugnė usually goes for a walk to change her mindset from work to free time and the evenings she might spend with books. “In this way, even during the work week I have time for my interests”, she explains. From Ugnė’s perspective, it’s crucial for everyone to allocate time for themselves. “In this way, you will be more productive and less stressed. Everything will resolve somehow!”, the positive Biocodex Phame team member summarizes.

Here are Ugnė’s top 3 things to help balance work and free time:

1. Get good sleep. Everything feels better with a fresh mind, and you can do more work at the same time when you are rested.
2. Take a pause. Stop for a second if you feel burned out and think about what you can do to not feel this way and ask for help.
3. Plan. This way you can balance everything. The better the plan, the more efficiently you can do it and then, of course, get more free time for yourself.

Thank you Ugnė for the insights and keep up the great work!