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Here is my Brief Life Story:

mersinI was born (1966) and grew up in Mersin, a city (right picture) located on the southern cost of Turkey. This coast has been inhabited since the 9th millennium BC.The city became a part of many states and civilizations including the Hittites, Assyrians, Persians, Greeks,Seleucids and Lagids. Then came the Arabs, Egyptian Tulunids, Seljuk Turks, Mongol Empire, Crusaders, Armenian Kingdom of Cilicia, Mamluks, Anatolian beyliks, and finally the city was conquered by the Ottomans from the Ramadanid Principality in 1473 and formally annexed by Selim I in 1517. During the American Civil War, the region became a major supplier of cotton to make up for the high demand due to shortage. Railroads were extended to Mersin in 1866 from where cotton was exported by sea, and the city developed into a major trade center. In 1918, Mersin was occupied by French and British troops in accord with the Treaty of Sevres. It was liberated by the Turkish army in 1920. In 1924, Mersin was made a province, and in 1933 Mersin and İçel provinces were joined to form the (greater Mersin) İçel province.

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After completing my primary school education, I have attended Veterinary High School and later to the College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Selcuk (1983-1988). Selcuk University, founded in 1975 in Konya which is one of the flourishing cities (above picture) located in the central Turkey and well-known of its "Whirling Dervishes" and "Mevlana" who is a world-famous mystic philosopher and poet. Konya has long historical and cultural background that expands to cover the cultures of Hittite, Roman, Byzantine, Seljukid, Ottoman and Turkish Republican periods. Because of being the capital of Seljuk (Selçuk) Empire for a long time, Konya still has the characteristics of a city of civilization and culture. In the medieval times the city had many medresahs which were the universities of the time. Konya has been recognized as an important center for agriculture and stock-breeding. It also has a tradition of commercial culture of international trade. Recently, there has been a great development in medium-large sized industry in Konya region. The recent population of the metropolis is about a 1,000,000 and Konya is the 5th major city of Turkey.

selcuk logoSelcuk University is now one of the leading education and research institutions in Turkey with its 75,000 students and more than 3000 thousand faculty members and administrative staffs. Currently, the university has 4 institutions, 16 faculties and 25 vocational schools, which include Medicine, Veterinary Medicine, Engineering, Agriculture, Dentistry, Law, Business, Economics and Administrative Sciences, Arts and Sciences, Education, Linguistics as well. Although there are four major campuses, the main campus, "Aladdin Keykubadat " has most of the faculties.vet logo

Selcuk University, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine (SUFVM) was established in 1982 in Konya, which is considered as one of the major animal production areas of Turkey. SUFVM was founded and started veterinary education as the fifth veterinary institution of Turkey. As of today, SUFVM is considered as a pioneer and outstanding veterinary institution of Turkey based on its physical capacity, research, quality of education and academic staff, postgraduate programs and international affairs. Having total floor area over 13000 m2, SUFVM meets EU criteria with its lecture rooms, labs, and training areas. Veterinary education at the SUFVM was reorganized based on criteria of European Association for Establishments of Veterinary Education (EAEVE) and BOLOGNA process. Veterinary training at the SUFVM takes 5 years (10 semesters).Graduates are awarded with a Diploma of Veterinary Surgeon equivalent with MSc degree and can thereby directly enroll in a PhD program.

The Ohio State University (OSU), Columbus, OH USA

columbusWhile I was making plans to work as a Veterinarian, my dream job since childhood, I got interested in genetics. So I went to the Ohio State University, Columbus, OH, and got my MS (1992) and PhD degrees in the field of Molecular Genetics (1996). During my Masters Degree I had to work at Nationwide Childrens Hospital located outside the main campus. Columbus (right pic) is the capital and the largest city of the U.S. state of Ohio. Located near the geographic center of the state, Columbus is the county seat of Franklin County, although parts of the city also extend into Delaware and Fairfield counties. Named for explorer Christopher Columbus, the city was founded in 1812 at the confluence of the Scioto and Olentangy rivers, and assumed the functions of state capital in 1816. The city has a diverse economy based on education, insurance, healthcare, retail, and technology. Acknowledged by Money Magazine as the 8th best large city in the U.S. to inhabit, it is also recognized as an emerging global city. Residents of Columbus are usually referred to as "Columbusites".

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Ohio State's roots go back to 1870, when the Ohio General Assembly established the Ohio Agricultural and Mechanical College. The new college was made possible through the provisions of the Land-Grant Act, signed by President Lincoln on July 2, 1862. This legislation revolutionized the nation's approach to higher education, bringing a college degree within reach of all high school graduates.

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The Ohio State University's main Columbus campus is one of America's largest and most comprehensive. More than 55,000 students select from 14 colleges, 175 undergraduate majors, and 240 master's, doctoral, and professional degree programs. As Ohio's best and one of the nation's top-20 public universities, Ohio State is further recognized by a top-rated academic medical center and a premier cancer hospital and research center. The university's total research expenditures in 2009 topped $716 million, ranking Ohio State 13th nationally, second in industry research, and ninth among public universities, according to the National Science Foundation. The university's innovative prowess attains world-class status, particularly in critical areas such as global climate change, cancer, infectious disease, advanced materials, and ag-bio products that feed and fuel the world.

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An additional 8,200 students attend Ohio State's regional campuses in Lima, Mansfield, Marion, and Newark, and the Agricultural Technical Institute in Wooster. Founded as a federal land-grant institution in 1870, the university has awarded 622,368 degrees since 1878. Its legacy extends to more than 465,000 living alumni.

Quick facts:

  • Ohio State climbed to 18th among the nation's best public universities in U.S. News & World Report's 2010 edition of "America's Best Colleges," which links first-year student programs and internships to student success.
  • In a comparison of tuition costs to graduate earning power in SmartMoney magazine, Ohio State ranks 11th best nationally, with an average return of 179 percent on tuition investment.
  • Ohio State generates an annual statewide economic impact in excess of $4 billion and partners with more than 240 Ohio-based businesses.
  • The Ohio State University Medical Center was named one of "America's Best Hospitals" for the 18th consecutive year. The medical center is among only 21 hospitals in the country named to U.S. News & World Report's elite Honor Roll.
University of Pennsylvania (UPENN), Philadelphia, PA, USA

Later, I got into the gene therapy field at the Human Gene Therapy Institute of University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA (1997). Once the original capital of America , Philadelphia has a history enriched with culture, history and symbolism. The city is a melting pot of races, traditions and immigrant cultures and also possesses amenities that only the city's own heritage can provide. It is the home to the Liberty Bell and the Declaration of Independence, both tributes to the city's revolution.

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independence hallWidely known as Philly, but formerly known as the City of Philadelphia , it is the largest city in the state of Pennsylvania . It is also called the City of Brotherly Love. It holds the following statistics, it is the sixth most populous city in the US , the fifth largest city area by population in the US , the US 's fourth largest consumer media market and ranks 49 th as the most populous city in the world. There are nearly 1.5 million people in the city alone.

Once upon a time the city was the second largest in the British Empire after London . A marketable, educational and culture enriched center, it was the communal and geographical center of the original 13 American colonies. Philadelphia contributed hugely to American history when Benjamin Franklin, in the 18 th century, begun the American Revolution and American Independence.

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Eager to create a college to educate future generations of Philadelphians, Benjamin Franklin presented to the men and women of Philadelphia in the fall of 1749 his vision of a school to be known as the "Publick Academy of Philadelphia." Circulating his ideas in a pamphlet titled Proposals for the Education of Youth in Pensilvania, he advocated an innovative concept of higher education, one which simultaneously taught both the ornamental knowledge of the arts and the practical skills necessary for making a living. The four colleges then in existence in the English colonies -- Harvard, William and Mary, Yale, and Princeton -- were all schools for educating the clergy, rather than preparing their students for lives of business and public service. With his characteristic zeal and intent on seeing his Academy of Philadelphia become a reality, he assembled a board of trustees and looked about for the least costly way to build a campus.

upennThe state transformed the College into the University of the State of Pennsylvania, thus creating both America's first state school and America's first university. This new university was born with a more egalitarian vision than ever imagined before in the colonies, with members of the Board of Trustees from every denomination and the only non-sectarian faculty in the new nation. The University of Pennsylvania earned its current name when the University was made private, once the revolutionary fervor had died down, in 1791.

upenn picture 2Penn Medicine is one of the world's leading academic medical centers, dedicated to the related missions of medical education, biomedical research, and excellence in patient care. Penn Medicine consists of the Raymond and Ruth Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania (founded in 1765 as the nation's first medical school) and the University of Pennsylvania Health System, which together form a $4 billion enterprise.

Penn's Perelman School of Medicine is currently ranked #2 in U.S. News & World Report's survey of research-oriented medical schools and among the top 10 schools for primary care. The School is consistently among the nation's top recipients of funding from the National Institutes of Health, with $507.6 million awarded in the 2010 fiscal year.

upenn picture 4The University of Pennsylvania Health System's patient care facilities include: The Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania recognized as one of the nation's top 10 hospitals by U.S. News & World Report; Penn Presbyterian Medical Center; and Pennsylvania Hospital – the nation's first hospital, founded in 1751. Penn Medicine also includes additional patient care facilities and services throughout the Philadelphia region. Penn Medicine is committed to improving lives and health through a variety of community-based programs and activities. In fiscal year 2010, Penn Medicine provided $788 million to benefit our community.

University of Iowa (UI), Iowa City IA USA

The University of Iowa was originally named The State University of Iowa, and this remains the institution's official legal name. The State University of Iowa was founded February 25, 1847 as Iowa's first public institution of higher learning, only 59 days after Iowa became a state.

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The original campus was composed of the Iowa Old Capitol Building and the 10 acres (40,000 m2) (4.046 hectares) of land on which it stood. Following the placing of the cornerstone July 4, 1840, the building housed the Fifth Legislative Assembly of the Territory of Iowa (December 5, 1842) and then became the first capitol of the State of Iowa (December 28, 1846). Until that date it had been the third capitol of the Territory of Iowa. When the capitol of Iowa was moved to Des Moines in 1857, Old Capitol became the first permanent "home" of the University.

UI Law School

Home of the world-renowned Iowa Writers' Workshop, the National Advanced Driving Simulator, and one of America's best hospitals, The University of Iowa is a comprehensive public university committed to high-quality teaching, research, and service. Founded in 1847 in Iowa City, Iowa, as the state's first public institution of higher learning, the University enrolls more than 30,300 students and offers several top-ranking programs.

University Distinctions:

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  • Founded: February 25, 1847—Iowa's first public institution of higher learning
  • 1,700-acre campus sits in one of the nation's most livable cities (USA Today, 2006).
  • A comprehensive public university with a long-standing commitment to teaching, research and service
  • First U.S. public university to admit men and women on an equal basis when its doors opened to students in 1855
  • Home of the world-renowned Iowa Writers' Workshop, the National Advanced Driving Simulator, and one of "America's Best Hospitals"
  • World's first university to accept creative work in theatre, writing, music and art on an equal basis with academic research
  • Many of the state's professionals are educated at UI:
    • 79% of Iowa's dentists
    • 50% of Iowa's physicians
    • 48% of Iowa's pharmacists
    • Teachers and administrators in 80% of Iowa's K-12 school districts

The University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics (UIHC) is a public teaching hospital and level 1 trauma center affiliated with the University of Iowa. UIHC is part of University of Iowa Health Care, a partnership that includes the University of Iowa Roy J. and Lucille A. Carver College of Medicine and the University of Iowa Physicians group practice.

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The Iowa Center for Gene Therapy was established in 1998 to promote research and training in molecular medicine with a focus on translational research using gene therapy approaches to treat inherited and acquired diseases. In this spirit, this center focuses on serving as a resource to facilitate interdisciplinary interactions between diverse basic and clinical science research laboratories through centralized administrative and technical support, as well as providing a forum for impromptu and formal exchanges of information and ideas. Diseases of the lung, cardiovascular system, muscles, brain, and skin are focus areas of research as well as the development of gene therapy vectors and the identification of disease-causing genes. The Center currently has 69 active faculty members, numerous trainees at all levels of study, and is linked to a Ph.D. training program in Molecular Medicine and Gene Therapy.

Akdeniz University, Antalya, Turkiye

After completing my training at the Gene Therapy Center of University of Iowa (2001), I was hoping to move to California to live the rest of my life. Then the fact that I was not making any plans for my own country to work struct me all of a sudden during an evening in September. After turning the States upside down for more than a decade, this is how I got back to my home country (2002). I am married and living in Antalya now. I guess the right kind of motivation is needed to someone to succeed. Without it, the success does not come easy.

Akdeniz University

My Work Place: Human Gene & Cell Therapy Center

Human Gene and Cell Therapy Center of Akdeniz University Hospitals and Clinics is initially established as Human Gene Therapy Unit of College of Medicine in 2003. In 2010, the unit was restructed as a center to include cell therapy studies as well. The center is now a pioneering research facilty in the country. Scientists in the center are involved in development of experimental gene therapy modalities against cancer and auto immune disorders such as diabetes. Research results are published in the leading gene therapy journals like Human Gene Therapy, Cancer Gene Therapy, Current Gene Therapy etc. Some studies requires the use of islet cells. For that reason most current studies indulge in combined use of gene and cell therapy to fight against human diseases. Read more about the center ....

Human Gene and Cell Therapy Center

Gene Therapy Information

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ASGCT's MISSION is to advance knowledge, awareness, and education leading to the discovery and clinical application of genetic and cellular therapies to alleviate human disease.

ASGCT's STRATEGIC VISION is to be a catalyst for bringing together scientists, physicians, patient advocates, and other stakeholders to transform the practice of medicine by incorporating the use of genetic and cellular therapies to control and cure human disease.

esgct headerThe European Society of Gene and Cell Therapy (ESGCT) promotes basic and clinical research in gene therapy, cell therapy, and genetic vaccines by facilitating education, the exchange of information and technology and by serving as a professional adviser to stakeholder communities and regulatory bodies in Europe.

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Human Gene Therapy is the official Journal of the European Society of Gene and Cell Therapy.

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The mission of the Center for Gene Therapy is to investigate and employ the use of gene and cell based therapeutics for prevention and treatment of human diseases including: neuromuscular and neurodegenerative diseases, lysosomal storage disorders, ischemia and re-perfusion injury, neonatal hypertension, cancer and infectious diseases. Investigators with the Center for Gene Therapy currently are conducting numerous clinical research studies, especially for neuromuscular disorders.

View the Center for Gene Therapy clinical trials page.

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The Penn Vector Core is a full service viral vector core facility located on the University of Pennsylvania campus. With over a decade of experience in the production of viral-based vectors, the Core has become an important technological resource for investigators, both within and external to Penn, interested in the use of viral based vectors for gene transfer.

The main objective of the Core is to provide investigators access to state-of-the-art vector technology for preclinical studies and other basic research applications. Such studies, utilizing carefully designed viral vectors, can provide information critical to the understanding of gene function and development of therapeutic vectors.

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Overview of Research in Gene Therapy at the University of Iowa

By its very nature, gene therapy of genetic diseases is a technology of tremendous potential in relieving human suffering, but it is at the same time a massive and dauntingly complex scientific endeavor. That we currently stand on the threshold of successfully curing genetic diseases is a monument to the unprecedented scientific breakthroughs achieved in recent years, in mapping the genetic mutations underlying inherited metabolic diseases and in precisely defining the pathophysiology of the resulting cellular defects.

These accomplishments have required the concerted effort of scores of dedicated clinical and basis science researchers, many of whom are faculty members at the University of Iowa. However, despite the recent advances, the science for gene therapy of human genetic diseases is still currently in its infancy and much work remains to be done. The Iowa Center for Gene Therapy has a particular emphasis on cystic fibrosis, but extends as well to other areas in which the University of Iowa has particular strengths.

Historically, the academic culture at The University of Iowa has been one of collaboration and the sharing of resources and expertise, and gene therapy research for CF has benefited from the active gene therapy programs directed at other target organs and diseases. It is the goal of this Center to further facilitate such interactions among researchers investigating gene therapy for diseases affecting the CNS, muscle, vessels, skin, liver, and lung.

Steps for Gene Therapy Research

There are three broad research areas underlying the development of successful gene therapy approaches for the treatment of inherited metabolic diseases:

  1. The first is the identification of disease-causing gene mutations.
  2. The pathophysiology arising from the genetic mutation must then be studied in the context of gene function and the basic cell biology of the affected organ system(s), so that the appropriate cellular targets for gene therapy can be identified.
  3. Lastly, suitable and effective gene therapy vector systems for targeting the specific affected system and providing long-term amelioration of the disease must be developed.
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R and D Hospital

Above image is taken from our new R&D Hospital, which is still under construction. To the left is the Block B of the Hospital (AKA Institute for Transplantation), in which our center is located currently.


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