Non-Human Research Board
Baseerat Rumman-Prospective Postdoctoral Researcher in Neuroscience
Research Interest: 3D neural tissue engineering, GelMA-based disease modelling, Optogenetics, Electrophysiology, Parkinson's disease.
Baseerat Rumman is a neuroscientist with a PhD from Koç University, Istanbul. Her research focuses on developing GelMA-based 3D neuronal culture models and applying optogenetics and electrophysiology to investigate dopaminergic dysfunction in Parkinson's disease, with the broader goal of bridging molecular neuroscience with translational therapeutic strategies. Her current research is carried out under the supervision of Dr. Ersin Yavaş.
Baseerat is involved in the ERANET-NEURON project, focusing on the neurobiological
mechanisms underlying fear memory formation and extinction at molecular and cellular level.
Osman Kamalı-PhD student in Neuroscience
Research Interest: Theoretical-computational neuroscience, Mathematical models, Behavioral neuroscience, Molecular-cellular neuroscience.
The primary areas of interest within the broad spectrum of neuroscience for me are theoretical-computational neuroscience and mathematical models. I harbor a deep curiosity for these disciplines with the goal of understanding the complex nature and functioning of our nervous system, and developing theories regarding its operation. Furthermore, my desire to engage in more qualified research and comprehend the intricate relationships between the brain and behavior directs my focus towards behavioral neuroscience, along with molecular and cellular neuroscience which shape these relationships. Osman conducts his research at Koç University under the co-supervision of Dr. Ersin Yavas.
My efforts, particularly in theoretical-computational neuroscience, mathematical models, behavioral neuroscience, and molecular-cellular neuroscience, aim to establish bridges between these fields. My focus aims to contribute to the understanding of the nervous system's workings and to contribute to advancements in neuroscience through computer models.
Osman is involved in the ERANET-NEURON project, focusing on the neurobiological mechanisms underlying fear memory formation and extinction.
Ceren Gör-PhD student in Neuroscience
Research Interest: Translational models of stress-related disorders, Synaptic plasticity mechanisms of fear memory, Development of behavioral biomarkers relevant to PTSD and anxiety
Ceren is a PhD student at the Research Center for Translational Medicine (KUTTAM), Koç University, Istanbul. She conducts her research under the co-supervision of Dr. Ersin Yavaş. Her work centers on how early-life and adult stress shape fear learning and memory consolidation in rodent models. Using behavioral paradigms including fear conditioning and the forced swim test, combined with immunofluorescence imaging, she investigates the molecular and circuit-level substrates of stress-induced memory dysregulation with a particular emphasis on amygdala and hippocampal contributions. Extending this work into the domain of metabolic influences on brain function, Ceren is also interested in how lifestyle interventions, particularly intermittent fasting and high-fat diet exposure affect fear memory, stress resilience, and neuronal activity patterns across development. This line of inquiry bridges behavioral neuroscience with translational questions about how dietary and metabolic states modulate vulnerability to stress-related disorders.
Her doctoral research is conducted within the framework of a joint ERANET-NEURON project, focusing on the neurobiological mechanisms underlying fear memory formation and extinction.
Efe Töre Ömür-MS student in Neuroscience
Research Interest: Behavioral and cognitive neuroscience, Neuroimaging, Neurotechnology/neurostimulation, Psychopharmacology, Neural circuits, Glial structures, Neurodegenerative diseases.
Efe's graduate training focuses on behavioral and cognitive neuroscience at Koç University. He received his Bachelor of Science in Neuroscience with a minor in Chemistry from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Prior to joining Koç University, Efe gained extensive academic research experience at the UNC School of Medicine, serving as a full-time Research Assistant at the Neuro Image Research and Analysis Laboratories (NIRAL). Bridging academia and industry, he also has strong experience in the neurotech sector, having recently served as Head of Business Development at Vagustim LLC. In addition to his scientific and entrepreneurial pursuits, Efe is a dedicated ballet dancer/teacher with over 10 years of training.
Methodologies & Core Skills: Experimental design, data analysis, business development in neurotech, and chemical laboratory techniques. He is currently expanding his laboratory expertise in graduate-level neuroscientific methodologies, including electrophysiology, optogenetics, stereotaxic surgery, and advanced data-acquisition systems.
Efe is involved in the ERANET-NEURON project, focusing on the neurobiological mechanisms underlying fear memory formation and extinction.
Human Research Board
Sıla Resuloğlu Alan-PhD student in Psychology
Research assistant in the Department of Psychology at Bartın University and a PhD candidate on the Experimental Psychology programme at Bursa Uludağ University, under the co-supervision of Dr. Ersin Yavaş
Her research focuses on cognitive ageing, neurodegenerative disorders and cognitive processes such as memory and language. Currently, she is investigating the behavioural and neural mechanisms of the tip-of-the-tongue (TOT) phenomenon in healthy ageing, mild cognitive impairment, and Alzheimer’s disease using the brain imaging methods. Her aim is to improve our understanding of changes in language production and word retrieval along the continuum from healthy to pathological ageing.
Methodologically, her research combines experimental paradigms, neuropsychological assessment and functional near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS) to investigate the behavioural and neural mechanisms underlying the specific domains of cognitive functioning.
Ali Can Şenkaya-PhD student in Philosophy
Research Interest: Philosophy of mind, Neurophilosophy, Experimental philosophy
Doctoral candidate at Bartın University, where he continues his PhD research. He completed his bachelor's degree at Hacettepe University and his master's degree at Bartın University. His work focuses on philosophy of mind, neurophilosophy, and experimental philosophy. Adopting an empirical approach to philosophical questions, he employs brain imaging data obtained through functional near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS). He conducts his research under the co-supervision of Dr. Ersin Yavaş
Şenkaya's work combines conceptual and empirical methods. On the philosophical side, he employs conceptual analysis and philosophical argumentation, and engages critically with the existing literature, including through review work. On the empirical side, within the framework of experimental philosophy, he uses neuroimaging data obtained through fNIRS to inform philosophical questions about the mind.
Lab Alumni
Name Year Degree Current Position
Hacer Begüm Saka 2025 Neuroscience MSc University of Manitoba, Department of Biological Sciences
Hasan Alp Karaevli 2025 Neuroscience MSc Necmettin Erbakan University, Special Education
Collaborations
Gabrielle Girardeau, Sorbonne Université, Institut du fer à moulin, Inserm U1270, Paris, France.
Fuat Balci, University of Manitoba, Department of Biological Sciences, Winnipeg, Canada.
Charlotte Boccara, University of Oslo, Department of Molecular Medicine, Institute of Basic Medical Sciences, Oslo, Norway.
Gal Richter-Levin, University of Haifa, Sagol Department of Neurobiology, Haifa, Israel.
Gürsel Çalışkan, Otto-von-Guericke University, Department of Genetics and Molecular Neurobiology, Institute of Biology, Magdeburg, Germany.