CV

Doctoral Researcher

University College Dublin

• Developed a machine learning workflow in Python to predict cell line specific synthetic lethal interactions between paralog pairs to guide therapeutic target discovery in cancer
• Integrated large-scale public datasets, including transcriptomics, CRISPR dependency scores, somatic mutation profiles, protein–protein interaction networks, and gene ontology annotations to engineer 16 predictive features for 5,000 gene pairs across 11 cancer cell lines and build training and testing datasets for supervised machine learning models
• Designed and deployed a publicly accessible platform that translates ML model outputs into an interactive target prioritisation tool, enabling scientists without coding experience to design large-scale CRISPR screens
• Systematically integrated drug and target annotations from open-source databases such as OpenTargets, ChEMBL with results of multiple independent combinatorial CRISPR screens to prioritise protein families as candidate therapeutic targets
• Authored and co-authored 5 peer-reviewed publications in journals including Genome Biology, Trends in Cancer and NAR Genomics and Bioinformatics; a first-author paper currently under review at Genome Medicine

Visiting Doctoral Researcher

Wellcome Sanger Institute

Completed a 3-month placement (April–Jun 2024) under the supervision of Dr. David Adams, identify genetic interactions within and across cancer types and explore their potential as therapeutic targets.

• Applied linear modelling to pan-cancer CRISPR screening data to identify cancer type specific genetic interactions across melanoma, lung, and pancreatic cell line model, supporting prioritisation of therapeutic targets
• Quantified correlations between CRISPR dependency scores and RNA expression across cancer cell lines to identify gene expression associated factors contributing to cancer type specific genetic interactions.
• Co-authored research published in Genome Biology funded by AstraZeneca and the Wellcome Trust

Researcher

Eternans Ltd.

• Generated senescent fibroblast cell models and screened novel senolytic peptide candidates across senescent fibroblast and cancer cell line models using cell viability assays to quantify compound efficacy.
• Analysed assay results to support lead candidate prioritisation, presenting findings in weekly meetings and contributing to research decisions with collaborators at Imperial College London, UK and Oregon Health & Science University, USA

Marketing Communications Specialist

Mettler Toledo, Turkey

• Executed email campaigns using Salesforce and analysed performance metrics, including click-through rates, conversion rates, and web analytics dashboards, to improve lead generation and digital engagement.
• Supported website localisation and updated landing-page content to improve product adoption and communication with local customers.
• Collaborated with third-party agencies, and sales teams to prepare and proofread technical marketing materials, including brochures and whitepapers for precision instruments.
• Managed LinkedIn content campaigns by preparing structured weekly posts to increase brand awareness, and generate leads for the sales team.
• Coordinated industry exhibitions and seminars across the power, chemistry, and pharma sectors, working with sales and marketing stakeholders to support customer outreach and product adoption.

Undergraduate Intern

Michigan State University

Completed a 3-month research internship (June–August 2013) in the Cellular Reprogramming Laboratory of Dr. Jose Cibelli (Departments of Animal Science and Physiology), contributing to a study on whether ectopic OCT4 expression in bovine adult fibroblasts facilitates epigenetic reprogramming during somatic cell nuclear transfer (SCNT), benchmarked against in-vitro fertilization (IVF) controls.

• Harvested bovine oocytes from ovaries and performed in-vitro maturation of cumulus–oocyte complexes to prepare them for downstream SCNT and IVF experiments.
• Performed bovine SCNT following the Ross and Cibelli (2010) protocol, and cultured reconstructed couplets to the blastocyst stage for downstream protein and RNA expression analysis.
• Produced in-vitro fertilized embryos and cultured them for 7 days to assess embryo development

PhD

University College Dublin

Bioinformatics and Systems Biology

MSc

Acibadem MAA University

Biostatistics and Bioinformatics

BSc

Istanbul Bilgi University

Bioengineering

Poster Commendation, UCD Conway Festival of Research & Innovation

UCD Conway Institute, Dublin, Ireland

Poster received commendation from the review panel at the UCD Conway Festival of Research & Innovation Conference.

Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions Doctoral Fellowship

European Commission

Competitive fellowship funding my PhD in Bioinformatics and Systems Biology, awarded under the Horizon 2020 Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions programme.

TÜBİTAK ARDEB 1001 Graduate Scholarship

The Scientific and Technological Research Council of Turkey (TÜBİTAK)

Competitive scholarship funding my MSc in Biostatistics and Bioinformatics, awarded under the TÜBİTAK ARDEB 1001 programme.