UVACCC Welcomes Alaattin Kaya, PhD

UVACCC welcomes Alaattin Kaya, PhD, Associate Professor of Biochemistry and Molecular Genetics, to the Molecular Genetics and Epigenetics Research Program. Dr. Kaya studies the molecular mechanisms of aging, a key driver of cancer and other age-related diseases.

His lab identifies genes that regulate cellular aging and senescence and examines their roles in cancer processes like genomic instability, immune evasion, altered metabolism, and tumor progression. He also investigates how genetic, epigenetic, and immunological factors — including immunosenescence — affect cell death and survival, aiming to develop new therapies for aging-related diseases, including cancer.

Dr. Kaya earned his BS in Biology from Dumlupinar University, his MS in Biotechnology from the Izmir Institute of Technology, and his PhD in Biochemistry from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. He completed his postdoctoral training in Medicine and Genetics at Harvard Medical School. Outside the lab, Dr. Kaya enjoys camping, fishing, and gardening. A passionate amateur mycologist, he finds creative inspiration in studying fungi — especially mushrooms and yeast — as a hobby.

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