Koc University, Department of Molecular Biology and Genetics

Elif Nur Fırat Karalar, who completed her undergraduate degree in Molecular Biology and Genetics at Bilkent University, pursued her Ph.D. at the University of California, Berkeley, and carried out her postdoctoral work at Stanford University. In 2014, she established a research laboratory at Koc University’s Department of Molecular Biology and Genetics and continues her work in this field. The fundamental mechanisms of cell biology she studies exhibit dysfunctions across a broad spectrum of disorders — from rare genetic diseases to cancer — and her research sheds light on new diagnostic and therapeutic methods. With the support of the ERC, EMBO Installation Grant and Young Investigator Program, Karalar continues her work at the “Cytoskeleton Research” laboratory. Thanks to her contributions to science, she was awarded the 7th Sabri Ülker Science Award.

Research Focus
Continuing her scientific career in Molecular Biology and Genetics, Associate Professor Karalar and her team seek to answer how the cellular structures known as centrioles (centrosomes) and cilia — which play critical roles in cell division and communication — form and function. They believe that uncovering these answers will enable the development of new methods for diagnosing and treating disorders arising from defects in these structures. In her Sabri Ülker ScienceAward–winning work, Karalar and her team also aim to identify the causes of developmental and metabolic disorders such as kidney dysfunction, blindness, obesity, and diabetes — ultimately guiding improved diagnosis and treatment strategies for these diseases.