Giedre graduated from Vilnius University in Lithuania in 2006 with a BA in Molecular Biology. She then decided to move to the gloomy UK and in 2008 gained her MSc degree in Biomedical Sciences at Kingston University in Surrey, UK. During that time, she met an Aussie surfer who somehow convinced her that sunshine is better than rain, and she should move to Australia. A few years and a few jobs later (but the same Aussie by her side), Giedre decided that it would be a great idea to do her PhD. She joined the auditory neuroscience lab and graduated from the University of New South Wales in 2016 with a PhD in Physiology and Pharmacology. With the support of her mentor and the same Aussie (who also became her husband) Giedre moved to UC Irvine where she continued her work in auditory neuroscience trying to understand the role that microglia play in the development of auditory circuits. Interest in microglia, inflammatory responses as well as the relationship between hearing loss and Alzheimer’s Disease led Giedre to the Green lab and MODEL-AD. When Giedre is not at work, you’ll find her chasing her 4-year-old daughter. Giedre’s hobbies include reading books (the darker, the better), going hiking, camping, having bbqs with friends and cuddling her oversized Aussie cats.