Fulya Türker
Assistant Professor
Fulya graduated with a B.Sc. degree in Molecular Biology, Genetics, and Bioengineering and a minor in Chemistry, from Sabancı University in Istanbul, Turkey, in 2017. She pursued her Ph.D. in the Department of Biological Chemistry at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, under the guidance of Dr. Seth S. Margolis. Her research focused on identifying NMP-derived peptides with signaling roles in the mammalian nervous system. Fulya then joined Dr. Sandra Encalada’s research group at The Scripps Research Institute, California as a postdoctoral research fellow with a focus on functional impairments of the autophagy-lysosomal pathway in prion disease. In September 2024, Fulya joined the Department of Molecular Biology and Genetics at Bilkent University as an Assistant Professor. Her current research focuses on understanding proteasome biology in the context of neurodegeneration. Outside the lab, she enjoys COFFEE COFFEE COFFEE.
Yağmur İri
MSc. Student
Yağmur is a graduate of the Department of Molecular Biology and Genetics at Bilkent University. She is currently working as a graduate student in the Türker lab with a focus on analyzing large-scale proteomics data from brain and neuronal samples to identify changes in neuronal membrane proteasomes (NMPs) and the 20S proteasomes in Huntington’s disease. Outside the lab, Yağmur enjoys spending time in nature with friends, travelling, watercoloring and yoga.
Bora Yazıcıoğlu
MSc. Student
Bora received his undergraduate degree from the Department of Molecular Biology and Genetics at Boğaziçi University in 2024. He is an MSc. student in the Türker lab. His research focuses on the regulation of neuronal membrane proteasome dynamics in Huntington’s disease mouse models. Outside the lab, Bora has a strong interest in interactive storytelling and strategy, which he explores through roleplaying and video games.
Rohat Erdoğan
MSc. Student
Rohat graduated from the Middle East Technical University (METU) Department of Molecular Biology and Genetics in 2025 and is currently an MSc student in the Türker lab. He has a strong interest in biochemistry. His current research focuses on developing novel inhibitor modifications for neuronal membrane proteasomes (NMPs). He is working on designing specific molecular tools that can target these proteasomes located on the surface of neurons. This work will help reveal how these NMPs function and clarify their specific biological roles. In his free time, he loves cooking and baking. He is also a dedicated basketball fan. He also enjoys going to concerts and spending time with friends.
Uzay Ergönül
Senior Undergraduate Researcher
Uzay is a senior undergraduate student in the Department of Molecular Biology and Genetics at Bilkent University. He has a keen interest in biochemistry and he is currently working on the role of the proteasome in Huntington’s disease, aiming to identify a marker protein associated with proteasome dysfunction in HD. Outside the lab, Uzay enjoys basketball, swimming, video games and music. He loves every kind of sports as he loves biochemistry.
Kerem Elmacı
Senior Undergraduate Researcher
Kerem is a senior undergraduate student in the Department of Molecular Biology and Genetics at Bilkent University, with a minor in Psychology. He is deeply interested in neurobiology and bioinformatics. As Türker Lab’s first official summer intern, his current focus is on performing MS-based proteomics analyses of proteasome subunits in Huntington’s disease models. Kerem enjoys reading comics, watching movies, traveling, and socializing. He’s a fan of Marvel, Star Wars and proteasomes, as he’s intrigued by a good destruction sequence whether it’s the Death Star or protein degradation.
Ömer Kekeç
Senior Undergraduate Researcher
Ömer is a senior undergraduate student in the Department of Molecular Biology and Genetics at Bilkent University. He is currently working as an undergraduate researcher in the Türker lab with a focus on developing a viral expression system to mimic Huntington’s disease in neuronal models. His main scientific interests are neurodevelopment and marine biology. Outside the lab, Ömer enjoys travelling, scuba diving, acting, and music of all kinds.
ALUMNI
Deniz Kır
Senior Undergraduate Researcher
Deniz is a senior undergraduate student in the Department of Molecular Biology and Genetics at Bilkent University. She is currently completing her Senior Project in the Türker lab, focusing on the roles of proteasomes in neurodegenerative diseases. Her specific question is how behavioral assays can be integrated into the investigation of neuronal membrane proteasomes under specific disease conditions, with a particular focus on Huntington’s disease. Outside the lab, Deniz enjoys meeting with her friends, playing volleyball, and loves events that bring people together.
Selen Şakman
Senior Undergraduate Researcher
Selen is a senior undergraduate student in the Department of Molecular Biology and Genetics at Bilkent University. She is currently working on her Senior Project in the Türker Lab, focusing on unraveling the evolutionary history of neuronal membrane proteasomes (NMPs) from Drosophila to humans. Her specific research question explores how NMPs can be studied in Drosophila by comparing the proteasome subunits between Drosophila, mice, and humans. Outside the lab, Selen enjoys discovering new places and new music, swimming and spending time with friends.
Noran Mansour
Senior Undergraduate Researcher