Pioneering Cancer Solutions
Yasemin Saygıdeğer MD, PhD
Team Leader (PI)
Yasemin Saygıdeğer MD., PhD., is an Associate Professor and has been a faculty member of Çukurova University School of Medicine, Department of Chest Diseases since 2017. After completing her Medicine and Specialization Education at Trakya University Faculty of Medicine and Ankara Dışkapı Yıldırım Beyazıt Training & Reseaarch Hospital respectively, she started her Molecular Medicine PhD education at Dokuz Eylül University in 2010 and graduated in 2016. She did her postdoctoral research at Georgetown University in Washington DC, USA, with Prof.Dr. Aykut Üren for 3 years, where she increased her knowledge and skills in basic scientific research to study Translational Medicine.Currently, as she is their founder, she is working as a Faculty at Çukurova University School of Medicine, Department of Chest Diseases; CU Institute of Science, Department of Biotechnology; and CU Institute of Health Sciences, Department of Translational Medicine. She is also the Deputy Director of the Cukurova University Biotechnology Research Center.
Post-doc Researchers
Pulmonary Residents
Meryem Atılgan, MD
Meryem Atılgan, MD, graduated from Necmettin Erbakan University Meram Faculty of Medicine in 2021. Between 2022 and 2023, she worked as a general practitioner at Erzincan İliç State Hospital.
In 2023–2024, she continued her career as a resident doctor in the Department of Pediatric Surgery at Marmara University Pendik Training and Research Hospital.
Since August 2024, she has been continuing her medical residency training in the Department of Chest Diseases at Çukurova University Faculty of Medicine. Her professional interests include respiratory system diseases, clinical practice, and research in pulmonary medicine.
PhD Students
Aycan Sezan, MSc
Aycan started her master's degree in the Biotechnology Department of Cukurova University Institute
of Science and Technology. She completed her master's thesis work in the Animal
Biotechnology and Genetic Engineering Laboratory of the Department of Zootechnics, Faculty of
Agriculture, Cukurova University. Aycan is a PhD candidate in the Biotechnology centre, she is conducting different projects in cancer biology and she is working mainly on organoids models.
Taoufik Allababidi, MSc
Taoufik is a PhD candidate at the Çukurova University within the biotechnology centre. In 2021, He joined Saygideger Lab and worked on cancer treatment using platelet cells.
Taoufik has MSc in Biochemistry from Cairo University. He worked on gene cloning and protein expression in bacteria and yeast.
Taoufık was appointed as a lecturer at Aleppo University (2009-2011) within the faculty of genetic engineering.
In 2012, Taoufik worked in the clinical lab as director for six years in Cairo.
Rihab Ksouri, MSc
Rihab is a PhD candidate who graduated from Ankara University, Biotechnology Institute. She joined Saygideger Lab and currently working on extracellular vesicles and drug delivery for tissue regeneration and cancer treatment. Furthermore, Rihab is working on tissue decellularization and scaffold development for regenerative medicine purposes.
M. Yağız Çapanoğlu, MSc
Yağız graduated from Üsküdar University, Department of Molecular Biology and Genetics. He did his master's degree at the Department of Biotechnology within Saygideger's Lab and continuing his PhD degree while focusing on the Collective Invasion of lung cancer cells under hypoxic conditions.
Master's Student
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Serkan Sevdi
He is graduated from Chemistry department of applied sciences faculty of Çukurova University . His master thesis is about developing field usable isothermal PCR kits . Additionally, he is currently working as a sale representative in a company of laboratory products.
Hamide Aksel
Graduated from Uşak University, Department of Molecular Biology and Genetics, Hamide is doing her master's degree within Saygigder Lab. She is interested in nanotechnology-related approaches to cancer treatment.
Meryem Kose
Meryem, graduated from Uşak University, Department of Molecular Biology and Genetics. She is doing her master's degree at the Department of Biotechnology within Saygideger Lab.She is interested in MET,PTEN gene mutations in lung adenocarcinoma.
Özlem Ergün
Özlem is a graduate of Gaziosmanpaşa University in molecular biology and genetics.
She is doing her master's degree in the biotechnology department of Çukurova University with Saygıdeğer laboratory.
She carried out studies on the production of Aspergillus Niger.
She aims to conduct studies using cancer genetics in the diagnosis and treatment of cancer.
Burak Büyükyüce
He graduated from Pamukkale University, Department of Biomedical Engineering. Burak is doing his master's degree within Saygideğer Lab. He is interested in bioinformatics and data science.
Sahar Taha
Sahar is a Palestinian master's student at Çukurova University in the Department of Biotechnology within Saygideger Lab, who graduated from the faculty of medicine at Al-Quds University in 2019.In 2020 sahar worked in a private hospital as a general doctor in surgical department for 2 years . She is interested in conduct studies using cancer genetics in the diagnosis and treatment of cancer
Rumeysa Kaynar
Rumeysa was graduated from Hitit University, Department of Molecular Biology and Genetics, as the top student. She is doing her master degree at the Department of Biotechnology within the Saygıdeğer laboratory. She is interested in cancer genetics and epigenetics.
Beyza Çatalkaya
Beyza Çatalkaya is a Master student in the Department of Translational Medicine at Çukurova University. She earned her Bachelor’s degree in Molecular Biology and Genetics from Abdullah Gül University, where she developed a strong interest in cancer biology and immunology. During her undergraduate studies, she completed a voluntary research internship at the University of Zaragoza in Spain, working with the Apoptosis, Cancer, and Immunity research group. She joined the SaygıdeğerLab team in June 2025 and continues to pursue her research interests in cancer mechanisms, immune regulation, and cell death pathways within translational medicine frameworks.
Ibrahim Bah
Ibrahim is a master’s student in Translational Medicine at Cukurova University. He holds a BSc in Biomedical Engineering from Cukurova, where his undergraduate thesis focused on the Aortic Heart Valve Design and Fluid Dynamics Analysis. This foundational work sparked a keen interest in tissue engineering, biomaterials, and cancer, areas in which he conducted several projects during his undergraduate studies. Currently, while pursuing his MSc, he is expanding his expertise through practical experience at Adana City Hospital, focusing on cutting-edge fields such as Cardiac Rhythm Management (CRM), Electrophysiology Studies, and 3D Mapping.
Undergraduates and Interns
Pamira Yanar
Pamira graduated from the University of Richmond with a double major in Biochemistry and Molecular Biology and Women, Gender, & Sexuality Studies. She has research experience in the Shugrue Lab at Richmond, focusing on the development of cleavable linkers for peptide screening platforms, and in the Jones Lab, investigating the toxicological effects of e-cigarette juice on THP-1 macrophages. Her research interests lie in medicinal chemistry, chemical synthesis, and drug discovery.
Former Members
Ahmed Attalah
Mevlude Humeyra Bilgin
Deniz Herguner
Alp çali
Aysegul Sila Demirci
Sehreen Tory, MD, Msc
Mojahidur Hasan, MD, Msc
Gizem Evin
Melih Gezemen
Basel Haznavi
Vafa Sayfullayeva
Sefa Bozdogan
Ezgi Derinoz, Msc
Baraa salkini
Syed Hamza Zaffar Bukhari, Msc
Aylin Ors, Msc
Deepika Akkulolu Haviss Kumar
Aya Alsayed
Mehmet Ozerten, Msc
Eylem Nas, Msc
Merve çam
Huseyin Bilik
Burak Bereketoglu, MD
Ayse Busra çetinkaya, MD
Mucahit Ekici, MD
Burcu Saygıdeğer Demir, PhD
Burcu is a Post-doc researcher, her studies focuses mainly on metal based and semi synthetic drug discovery. She uses for this process molecular docking to identify active site for molecular targeting.
Hamide Dogan, PhD
Hamide is doing her postdoctoral research within the scope of the Tubitak 2218 project in Saygideger Lab. She completed her PhD in Mersin University Department of Biology.
Apply Today
Interested in cancer research? We regularly offer posts for Erasmus, master, and PhD students, postdoctoral researchers, and senior scientists at Saygideger Lab.