Tl;dr: Here is my CV.

I am a theoretical evolutionary biologist based in Groningen (the Netherlands), where I work as a tenure-track assistant professor in the Groningen Institute of Evolutionary Life Sciences (GELIFES) of the University of Groningen. Originally from Istanbul (Turkey), I started my biology studies in Molecular Biology & Genetics, but got super excited about Evolutionary Biology towards the end of my undergrad. To pursue this, I did the great MEME programme, followed by a PhD at the University of Zurich, and an SNSF postdoc fellowship at the University of Jyväskylä. My very mobile academic life (Turkey, the Netherlands, Germany, the Netherlands, France, Australia, Switzerland, Finland) has come full circle, as I am now back where I started studying evolutionary biology as a Master’s student!

I enjoy bringing people and ideas together. This is also why I am a very happy theoretician, which is a versatile speciality that readily lends itself to interdisciplinary collaboration. I work on a variety of topics from cancer and ageing to cultural evolution, and am always happy to discuss new ideas! I also regularly (co-)organise and participate in initiatives to foster interactions within the academic community & in public engagement contexts.

I am committed to promoting a supportive, diverse, equitable, and inclusive academic environment. As a queer woman in STEM, someone from a developing country, and a neurodivergent academic, I am familiar with challenges surrounding access and inclusion. Therefore, I find it important to consider how I can help raise awareness, promote inclusivity, contribute to science on a global scale, and support early-career researchers, when designing my research, teaching, dissemination, and other contributions to academia.

Outside of work, I enjoy being outdoors (kayaking, cross-country skiing, hiking, camping..), various aerial activities (pole, aerial acrobatics, bouldering, climbing..), music, DnD, and regularly perform with the improv comedy group Trip Fantastic.