ilknur Sur Erdem

I completed my doctoral studies at University of Cologne. My doctoral studies were focused on the role of Nesprin-1 in DNA damage response pathway, which are determinants of genetic instability in cancer and age-associated diseases (Ph.D. supervisor, Prof.Dr. Angelika Anna Noegel). From January 2014 to October 2015, I worked at Uniklinik Koln (supervisor, Prof.Dr. Angelika Anna Noegel and Dr.Muhammad Sajid Hussain).

My post-doctoral research at Koç University School of Medicine aimed to explore the mechanisms of radiotherapy resistance and provide the effective therapeutic strategies to overcome resistance of brain cancers (supervisors: Prof.Dr. Tugba Bagci-Onder and Prof.Dr. Ihsan Solaroglu).

I am the recipient of several awards and fellowships including the Science Academy’s Young Scientist Award and Young Women Cancer Researcher Award, The Scientific and Technological Research Council of Turkey Return Repatriation (2232) and Career Development (3501) fellowships.

Award for Excellence Scheme (2023) is given by Nuffield Department of Women's & Reproductive Health, University of Oxford. I have also teaching experience (2020-2021-Fall, Instructor-Lecturer, CAMM551-Special Topics in Key Experimental Techniques in Cellular and Molecular Medicine, Graduate School of Health Sciences, Koç University). I work for St John College (University of Oxford), supervising and teaching the master students for 6 months.

I worked as a postdoctoral research fellow (July 2021-July 2024) in Professor Cecilia Lindgren`s (Director of Big Data Institute, University of Oxford) group at University of Oxford (Medical Sciences Division, Nuffield Department of Women's & Reproductive Health). The aim of my research was to identify novel potential gene targets for the treatment of women reproductive diseases. With this aim, the CRISPR screens are performed with the collaboration of Prof. Dr. Daniel Ebner (Target Discovery Institute, Oxford University). For the BAYER (27.07.2021-01.01.2023) granted collaboration, I worked with Prof. Dr. Udo Oppermann (Deputy Director Oxford Centre of Translational Myeloma Research), and Prof. Dr.Benedikt Kessler (Professor of Biochemistry and Mass Spectrometry). 

GRANTS

1. 2021-2024, The Scientific and Technological Research Projects Funding Program (1001), The Scientific and Technological Research Council of Turkey, TUBITAK, Turkey

Project title: Establishing a novel library for CRISPR/Cas9 screen targeting DNA damage response (DDR) pathway and identifying factors for treatment response in glioblastoma. 3 year research supported by this funding (Budget: £100,227.00).

İlknur Sur Erdem is the Project Lead.

One master student, two PhD students are granted by this project.

2. 2017-2020, TUBITAK National Young Researchers Career Development Program Research Grant (3501),

Project title: Investigation of chemo-radiotherapy resistance in glioblastoma cells by CRISPR-Cas9 mediated knock out and genome wide screen techniques

İlknur Sur Erdem is the Project Lead.

3 year research supported by this funding (Budget: £88,00.00).

One master student, one Post Doc are granted by this project. 

  2. 2017-2019, Science Academy’s Young Scientist Award (BAGEP), The Science Academy, Turkey.

Project title: Investigation of the Effect of DNA Repair Mechanism on Treatment Resistance in Glioblastoma Cells by CRISPR-Cas9 Mediated Gene Knock Method

Ilknur Sur Erdem is the Project Lead.

2 year research supported by this funding (Budget: £6,900.00).

3. 2015-2017 Return Repatriation Fellowship Program (2232), The Scientific and Technological       Research Council of Turkey, TÜBİTAK,

Project title: Investigation of the relationship between sensitivity of TRAIL (Tumor Necrosis Factor Related Apoptosis Inducing Ligand) sensitivity to DNA damage repair in Glioblastoma Multiform (GBM) tumors and the use of TRAIL conjugated Nanoparticles.

İlknur Sur Erdem is the Project Lead.

2 year research supported by this funding (Budget: £10,900.00).