SaygidegerLab

Who We Are

Molecular Diagnostics & Therapeutic Target Discovery

Saygideger Lab is the Translational Pulmonology Research Laboratory of the Department of Pulmonology, Cukurova University Faculty of Medicine. We are a multidisciplinary translational research group dedicated to advancing molecular diagnostics and therapeutic target discovery in lung cancer and chronic pulmonary diseases. Our work integrates clinical pulmonology with molecular biology and biotechnology to establish a strong bridge between patient care and laboratory research, to translate scientific discoveries into clinically meaningful applications. Our laboratory is located at the Cukurova University Biotechnology Research Centre, where we conduct advanced research on disease mechanisms, biomarker identification, and the development of personalised therapeutic strategies, with a special focus on lung cancer and chronic respiratory disorders. The laboratory is led by Yasemin Saygideger, MD, PhD, Associate Professor of Pulmonology at Cukurova University School of Medicine. Through innovative research, clinical integration, and a precision medicine approach, Saygideger Lab is committed to improving early diagnosis, treatment strategies, and patient outcomes in pulmonary diseases.

Our Mission

To advance molecular diagnostics and precision medicine in lung cancer and chronic lung diseases through innovative research. We aim to discover efficient biomarkers and novel therapeutic targets by investigating metal-based molecules, natural products, and exosomal non-coding RNAs. Through proteomic approaches and molecular docking, we strive to bridge laboratory discoveries with clinical applications for improved patient diagnosis and treatment.

Our Vision

To become a leading research center in translational pulmonology and molecular diagnostics, recognized globally for our contributions to lung cancer biomarker discovery, targeted drug delivery systems, and the development of innovative therapeutic strategies. We envision transforming patient outcomes through our work on HIF protein, EZRIN, SLUG, TP63, HER2 targeting, and extracellular vesicle research.

Our Team

Principal Investigator

Yasemin Saygideger

MD, PhD

Assoc. Prof. Dr Yasemin Saygideğer, MD, PhD, is a physician-scientist and faculty member at Çukurova University School of Medicine, Department of Chest Diseases. She received her medical degree from Trakya University Faculty of Medicine and completed her residency training in Pulmonology at Ankara Dışkapı Yıldırım Beyazıt Training & Research Hospital. Motivated to explore the molecular basis of respiratory diseases, she pursued a PhD in Molecular Medicine at Dokuz Eylül University, graduating in 2016. During her doctoral studies, she worked as a Research Scholar at Georgetown University (Washington, DC, USA) within the laboratory of Prof. Dr Aykut Üren, where she gained advanced experience in translational oncology, experimental therapeutics, and molecular biology techniques. Since joining Çukurova University in 2017, Dr. Saygideğer has led efforts to strengthen translational research capacity within the institution. She currently serves as a faculty member in multiple academic units, including the Department of Chest Diseases (School of Medicine), the Department of Biotechnology (Institute of Science), and the Department of Translational Medicine (Institute of Health Sciences), where she is also the founding academic lead. Her research focuses on environmental lung exposomics, micro- and nanoplastics, multi-omics biomarker discovery, and the development of innovative therapeutic approaches for respiratory diseases. She actively leads national and international collaborations, integrating clinical practice with cutting-edge molecular science to improve respiratory health outcomes.

Senior Researchers

(1)

Burcu Saygıdeğer

BSc, MSc, PhD

Burcu is a postdoctoral researcher. She earned her PhD in Chemistry in 2013 and pursued an additional PhD in Biotechnolo...

Post-Doctoral Researchers

(1)

Hamide Doğan

BSc, MSc, PhD

Hamide Doğan is a postdoctoral researcher at Çukurova University. She focuses her research on cancer biology and lung di...

Pulmonary Residents

(2)

Mert Kanık

Mert Kanık graduated from Çukurova University Faculty of Medicine in 2021. After working in a public hospital for a whil...

Meryem Atılgan

Meryem Atılgan, MD, graduated from Necmettin Erbakan University Meram Faculty of Medicine in 2021. Between 2022 and 2023...

PhD Students

(11)

Taoufik Allababidi

BSc, MSc

Taoufik is a PhD candidate at the Çukurova University within the biotechnology centre. In 2021, He joined Saygideger Lab...

Erkan Alabaş

BSc, MSc

Erkan is a PhD student in the Department of Biology at the Institute of Science, Mersin University. He completed his un...

Sevda Baş

Sevda Baş works as a Gynaecological Oncologist at Adana City Hospital and works on HPV-related cervical cancers.

Burak Ün

MD, PhD, MHA

Dr Burak Ün, MD, PhD, MHA, is a Research Scientist and OB/GYN specialist with advanced expertise in reproductive medicin...

Ahmet Uğuz

Dr. Ahmet Uğuz is a physician and PhD candidate in Translational Medicine at Çukurova University. He currently works as ...

Belde Kasap Demir

Belde Kasap Demir is a pediatric nephrology specialist at İzmir Tınaztepe University and continues her studies on develo...

Tolga Köşeci

Tolga Köşeci is an oncologist working in the Oncology Department at Çukurova University and is developing an artificial ...

Meryem Korkmaz

Ayşe Nur Çakır Güngör

Ayşe Nur Çakır Güngör is a Functional Medicine Certified Obstetrician and Gynecologist and IVF Specialist. Her research ...

M. Yağız Çapanoğlu

BSc, MSc

Yağız graduated from the Department of Molecular Biology and Genetics at Üsküdar University. He completed his master’s d...

Zenab Bintou

BSc, MSc

Zenab Bintou is a PhD student in Translational Medicine at Çukurova University. With an academic foundation spanning mol...

Master's Students

(8)

Meryem Köse

BSc

Meryem Köse graduated from the Molecular Biology and Genetics program at Uşak University and is currently pursuing her M...

Özlem Ergün

BSc., Lab Manager

Özlem is a graduate of Gaziosmanpaşa University in molecular biology and genetics. She is doing her master's degree in t...

Sahar Taha

Sahar is a Palestinian master's student at Çukurova University in the Department of Biotechnology within Saygideger Lab,...

Rumeysa Kaynar

BSc

Rumeysa Kaynar graduated first in her class from the Department of Molecular Biology and Genetics at Hitit University. S...

Aseel Aldhubhani

BSc

Aseel graduated from the Department of Genetics and Bioengineering, and, currently doing a Master’s degree in Biotechno...

Ibrahim Bah

BSc

Ibrahim is a master's student in Translational Medicine at Cukurova University. He holds a BSc in Biomedical Engineering...

Beyza Çatalkaya

BSc

Beyza Çatalkaya is a Master student in the Department of Translational Medicine at Çukurova University. She earned her B...

Hamidreza Zalpoor

BSc

Hamidreza Zalpoor is a Master's student in Biotechnology and a BSc graduate in Medical Laboratory Sciences from Shiraz U...

Interns

(6)

Onur Kapan

Medical Student

Onur Kapan is a student in the Faculty of Medicine at Çukurova University. He is interested in stem cells and cancer. He...

Eylül Sağay

Medical Student

Nimet Naz Şekerci

Medical Student

Sena Sakça

Medical Student

Muhammed Şaban Kara

Medical Student

Mevlude Humeyra Bilgin

Medical Doctor

Alp Çalı

Medical Doctor

Aycan Sezan

Serkan Sevdi

Pamira Yanar

Deniz Herguner

Gizem Evin

Melih Gezemen

Hamide Aksel

Benyamin Babaei

Rihab Ksouri

Burak Büyükyüce

Ahmed Attalah

Aysegul Sila Demirci

Sehreen Tory

Mojahidur Hasan

Basel Haznavi

Vafa Sayfullayeva

Sefa Bozdogan

Ezgi Derinoz

Baraa Salkini

Syed Hamza Zaffar Bukhari

Aylin Ors

Deepika Akkulolu Haviss Kumar

Aya Alsayed

Mehmet Ozerten

Eylem Nas

Merve Çam

Huseyin Bilik

Burak Bereketoglu

Ayse Busra Çetinkaya

Mucahit Ekici

Our Projects

Biomarker Discovery for Lung Cancer and Chronic Lung Diseases

Our study is based on the collection of different body fluid samples including serum, and bronchial lavage fluid from patients, and using proteomic approaches, to diagnose the related diseases. Also, we are evaluating the effects of the serum samples derived from Covid19 pneumonia patients on bronchial epithelial and cancer cells. In this project, with collaborating Department of Thoracic Surgery and the Department of Pathology at Cukurova University, we plan to optimize a panel of drug screening in patients' tumor samples.

Since Jan 2019 Ongoing

Development of a Novel Ezrin Inhibitor for Targeted Therapy in Lung Cancer

This project aims to develop novel inhibitors targeting the ezrin protein, which plays a role in cell membrane-skeleton junctions, for targeted therapy in lung cancer (Project No: TSA-2023-15224). Initially, studies were conducted with artemisia alcohol derivatives that showed potential for binding to ezrin in in silico analyses.

Since Jan 2023 Ongoing

Prevalence and Role of CALB2 Variants in Mesothelioma

Considering the potential impact of increased asbestos exposure after the earthquake, this project will investigate the prevalence of CALB2 (calretinin) gene variants in mesothelioma patients from the affected region. Molecular analyses will be performed on patient tissue samples, and findings will be correlated with clinical data and survival outcomes. In addition, functional studies using cell culture and in vivo models will evaluate the role of key variants in mesothelioma pathogenesis.

Since Mar 2020 Ongoing

Anti-cancer Drug Discovery and Targeted Drug Delivery

The aim of this project series is to design, synthesize and investigate the biological effects of metal-based, natural products and semi-synthetic molecules using molecular docking. In light of this project, we are evaluating the role of these molecules on different molecular pathways and cell lines mainly small cancer cells, targeting genes especially, the HIF protein, EZRIN, SLUG, TP63 and HER2. In these projects, we are collaborating mainly with the Toretsky-Uren Lab from Georgetown University (USA) and the Departments of Biology and Chemistry from Gaziantep University (Turkey).

Since Jan 2020 Ongoing

Extracellular Vesicle and miRNA Studies

These studies are based on the evaluation of the hypoxic regulation of non-coding RNAs in Lung Cancers. In this project, we use two commercially available and 4 primary lung cancer cell lines and study both intracellular and exosomal non-coding RNAs: a) To understand the expression regulation of non-coding RNAs under hypoxic conditions and b) To evaluate the role of exosomal non-coding RNAs during hypoxia.

Since Jan 2021 Ongoing

06 Dec 2025

Onur Kapan was awarded first place at the 2025 EMSA Samsun National Oncology Student Congress

Onur Kapan, a medical student and volunteer intern at SaygidegerLab, was awarded first place at the 2025 EMSA Samsun National Oncology Student Congress for his ...

07 Nov 2025