Speakers

Prof. Zeliha Gunnur Dikmen, MD, PhD, is Professor of Medical Biochemistry at Hacettepe University Faculty of Medicine, Ankara, Türkiye. She received her medical degree from Ankara University and completed both her residency training and PhD in Biochemistry at Hacettepe University. She has served as Chair of the Department of Medical Biochemistry and currently works in the Core and Emergency Laboratories of Hacettepe University. In addition to her academic appointments, she has been serving as a Scientific Advisor to MAIA Biotechnology that develops first-in-class telomere-targeting therapies, contributing her expertise in translational oncology, telomere biology, and innovative cancer therapeutics.

Prof. Dikmen is internationally recognized for her contributions to telomere and telomerase biology, with a particular focus on the role of telomeres in aging, longevity, stem cell biology, and cancer. She conducted extensive research at the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center where she contributed to the development and preclinical evaluation of telomerase-telomere targeted therapies, including GRN163L (Imetelstat) and THIO (Ateganosine). Her work has advanced understanding of telomere dysfunction, telomerase inhibition, and novel strategies for targeting cancer cell immortality and metastasis.

Prof. Dikmen has authored numerous peer-reviewed publications and book chapters in the fields of molecular oncology, telomere biology, laboratory medicine, and healthy aging. Her current interests include telomere dynamics, telomerase regulation, longevity science, cancer therapeutics, and the translation of telomere-targeted interventions into clinical practice.