Speakers

Dr. Serife Ayaz-Guner is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Molecular Biology and Genetics at İzmir Institute of Technology, Türkiye. She received her B.S. and M.Sc. degrees from Middle East Technical University and completed her Ph.D. in Cellular and Molecular Biology at the University of Wisconsin–Madison. She subsequently conducted postdoctoral research in a leading proteomics program, focusing on protein-level changes and their roles in disease.

Her research focuses on mass spectrometry–based proteomics to study the molecular basis of complex diseases, with a particular emphasis on stem cell senescence. Her work investigates how changes at the protein level contribute to loss of stemness and reduced regenerative capacity. In parallel, she explores targeted therapeutic strategies, including protein- and nanobody-based approaches, to modulate disease-related pathways. 

Dr. Ayaz-Guner also serves as the director of the mass spectrometry center at İzmir Institute of Technology, supporting interdisciplinary research and advanced proteomics applications.