Ilgin Sezer

Neuroscience MSc at University of Oxford | Valedictorian of Koç University Class of 2025 | 2024 Amgen Scholar at LMU

Istanbul, Istanbul, Türkiye

About

Master’s student in University of Oxford, Neuroscience programme. A detail-oriented Molecular Biology and Genetics graduate with a double major in Psychology who is currently worked as a researcher throughout her undergraduate career and passionate about research in cellular and molecular neuroscience. Committed to earn a PhD. Adaptable to changing conditions and experienced in conducting various experimental designs on to cell biology, biochemistry and molecular biology.

Experience

  • University of Oxford (6 mos)
    • Master's Student Researcher
      Apr 2026 - Present · 3 mos

      Master's research project in generating mature oligodendrocytes from induced pluripotent stem cells and characterizing the gene expression profile of wild-type and APOE-mutant oligodendrocytes to reveal their role in Alzheimer's disease

    • Master's Student Researcher
      Jan 2026 - Apr 2026 · 4 mos

      Master's project in Dr. Becky Carlyle's group to investigate cytoskeletal protein interaction changes in the human brain in the context of disease

  • Koç University (4 yrs 10 mos)
    • Researcher
      Feb 2025 - Jul 2025 · 6 mos

      Investigating the role of microtubule-associated protein CCDC66 in non-ciliary functions, namely cell migration, invasion and its possible role in cancer through promoting epithelial-mesenchymal transition.

    • Undergraduate Research Assistant
      Jun 2022 - Feb 2025 · 2 yrs 9 mos

      Working in Firat-Karalar Research Team's Cytoskeleton Research Laboratory to execute my own experiments, observe and learn from group members and help with lab maintenance. I have learned to conduct the following laboratory techniques: - SDS-PAGE & Western Blotting - Immunoprecipitation - PCR - Restriction Enzyme & Gateway cloning - Immunofluorescence microscopy using Leica DMI8 & Confocal Microscopy - Mammalian cell culture - Genotyping

    • Teaching Assistant
      Feb 2024 - Jun 2024 · 5 mos

      As a teaching assistant, my main responsibility is to conduct weekly problem sessions of MATH202: Statistics for Social Sciences course in which I solve homework questions and answer any questions the students have.

  • Amgen Scholar/Research Assistant at LMU Munich – Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München
    Jul 2024 - Sep 2024 · 3 mos

    Amgen Scholars is a prestigious program that allows undergraduate students to be hosted in laboratories around the world to boost their careers as future scientists. This year, only 12 scholars were selected to join among almost 500 applications. I was working under the supervision of Prof. Stylianos Michalakis in Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München Department of Chemisty and Pharmaceutical Sciences. I presented my poster entitled "Targeting the 'stubborn' retina microglia cells using Adeno-Associated Virus vectors" in the Amgen European Symposium held in University of Cambridge.

  • Intern at TÜBİTAK
    Feb 2024 - Jun 2024 · 5 mos

    I have been awarded the TÜBİTAK STAR internship to do research in Prof. Elif Nur Firat-Karalar Cytoskeleton Research Laboratory. During this internship, alongside my other duties in the laboratory, I performed mammalian cell culture, transduction, Western Blot and Immunofluorescence microscopy to aid Dr. Firat-Karalar's project.