TÜBİTAK Award to TÜBA and TÜBA-GEBİP Members
TÜBİTAK (The Scientific and Technological Research Council of Türkiye) has awarded the “TÜBİTAK Science, Special, Service, and Encouragement Awards” in 2024 to 21 scientists in recognition of their outstanding contributions to research and development in scientific and technological fields, and their role in training and advancing researchers. Of these, a total of 17 scientists, including TÜBA and TÜBA-GEBİP Members, were honored.
7 Science Awards, 1 Service Award, and 13 Encouragement Awards were presented by President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan at a ceremony held at the Beştepe National Congress and Culture Center.
The TÜBİTAK Service Award was given to Prof. Meral Beksaç from İstinye University, a TÜBA Full Member, in the field of health and life sciences. The Science Awards were presented to TÜBA-GEBİP Members Prof. Seda Keskin Avcı, Prof. Sinem Çöleri, and Prof. Sinan Gezici in engineering sciences, and Prof. Bahar Rumelili Sancak in social and human sciences.
The recipients of the Encouragement Awards in basic sciences were TÜBA-GEBİP Members Assoc. Prof. Ahmet Acar, Assoc. Prof. Ogün Adebali, Prof. Bünyemin Çoşut, Prof. Mehmet Özkan; in engineering sciences, Assoc. Prof. İlknur Eruçar Fındıkçı, Prof. Mustafa Servet Kıran, Cem Tekin; in health sciences, Assoc. Prof. Ahmet Eken, Yavuz Nuri Ertaş, Assoc. Prof. Fatih İnci, İpek Süntar; and in social and human sciences, Assoc. Prof. Ali Erken.
TÜBİTAK SCIENCE AWARD
Engineering Sciences
Prof. Seda Keskin Avcı
Awarded the TÜBİTAK Science Award for her internationally recognized work on next-generation nano-porous materials for clean and sustainable energy applications.
Primary Discipline: Chemical Engineering
Research Areas: Chemistry, Physical Chemistry, Inorganic and Nuclear Materials, Biomaterials
Institution: Koç University Faculty of Engineering, Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering
Prof. Sinem Çöleri
Awarded the TÜBİTAK Science Award for her internationally recognized work on wireless communication and vehicle communication networks.
Primary Discipline: Electrical-Electronic Engineering
Research Areas: 6G and Beyond Wireless Communications, AI-based Wireless Communications, Machine-to-Machine Communications, Wireless Network Control Systems, Vehicular Communications
Institution: Koç University Faculty of Engineering, Department of Electrical and Electronics Engineering
Prof. Sinan Gezici
Awarded the TÜBİTAK Science Award for his internationally recognized work on positioning in wireless communication systems.
Primary Discipline: Electrical-Electronic Engineering
Research Areas: Signal Processing, Communications
Institution: İhsan Doğramacı Bilkent University Faculty of Engineering, Department of Electrical and Electronics Engineering
Health Sciences
Prof. Ahmet Alanay
Awarded the TÜBİTAK Science Award for his internationally recognized work on spinal diseases, spinal deformities, and surgery.
Primary Discipline: Orthopedics and Traumatology
Research Areas: Medical Informatics in Orthopedics, Neurological Sciences, Surgery, Pediatrics, General and Internal Medicine
Institution: Acıbadem Mehmet Ali Aydınlar University Faculty of Medicine, Department of Surgical Medical Sciences
Prof. Gülen Hatemi
Awarded the TÜBİTAK Science Award for her internationally recognized work on the diagnosis and treatment of Behçet’s disease.
Primary Discipline: Internal Medicine
Research Areas: Rheumatology, General and Internal Medicine
Institution: Istanbul University-Cerrahpaşa Cerrahpaşa Faculty of Medicine, Department of Internal Medicine
Social and Human Sciences
Prof. Bahar Rumelili Sancak
Awarded the TÜBİTAK Science Award for her internationally recognized work on the conceptualization of liminality, the other, and social anxiety in international relations.
Primary Discipline: International Relations
Research Areas: International Relations
Institution: Koç University Faculty of Economics and Administrative Sciences, Department of International Relations
TÜBİTAK SERVICE AWARD
Health Sciences
Prof. Meral Beksaç
Awarded the TÜBİTAK Service Award for her pioneering role in establishing the first non-related tissue bank at Ankara University before the establishment of TÜRKÖK, her leading role in the foundation of TÜRKÖK, and the creation of Türkiye's first internationally accredited umbilical cord blood bank. Her research and contributions in hematology have significantly contributed to the institutionalization of this field in Türkiye.
Primary Discipline: Internal Medicine / Hematology
Research Areas: Cord Blood and Stem Cell Transplantation, Multiple Myeloma Biology and Treatment, Experimental Hematology
Institution: İstinye University Faculty of Medicine, Department of Internal Medicine
TÜBİTAK ENCOURAGEMENT AWARD
Basic Sciences
Assoc. Prof. Ahmet Acar
Awarded the TÜBİTAK Encouragement Award for his internationally recognized work on the development of cellular barcoding technology, tumor organoid biobanks, and digital pathology platforms.
Primary Discipline: Molecular Biology and Genetics
Research Areas: Biology, Interdisciplinary Fields
Institution: Middle East Technical University Faculty of Arts and Sciences, Department of Biological Sciences
Assoc. Prof. Ogün Adebali
Awarded the TÜBİTAK Encouragement Award for his internationally recognized work on developing bioinformatics tools to study DNA damage responses in various organisms.
Primary Discipline: Molecular Biology and Genetics
Research Areas: Genetics and Heredity, Evolutionary Biology
Institution: Sabancı University Faculty of Engineering and Natural Sciences, Department of Molecular Biology, Genetics, and Bioengineering
Prof. Bünyemin Çoşut
Awarded the TÜBİTAK Encouragement Award for his internationally recognized work on the synthesis, characterization, and applications of BODIPY-based photoactive materials in material chemistry.
Primary Discipline: Chemistry
Research Areas: Physical Chemistry
Institution: Gebze Technical University Faculty of Basic Sciences, Department of Chemistry
Prof. Mehmet Özkan
Awarded the TÜBİTAK Encouragement Award for his internationally recognized work on 3-dimensional (super) gravity theories and their non-relativistic limits.
Primary Discipline: Physics
Research Areas: Physics, Mathematics, Particles and Fields
Institution: Istanbul Technical University Faculty of Science and Letters, Department of Physics Engineering
Engineering Sciences
Assoc. Prof. İlknur Eruçar Fındıkçı
Awarded the TÜBİTAK Encouragement Award for her internationally recognized work on biocompatible metal-organic framework (MOF) forms for energy and biomedical applications.
Primary Discipline: Chemical Engineering
Research Areas: Engineering, Chemistry, Nanoscience and Nanotechnology
Institution: Özyeğin University Faculty of Engineering, Department of Basic Engineering Sciences
Prof. Mustafa Servet Kıran
Awarded the TÜBİTAK Encouragement Award for his internationally recognized work on developing metaheuristic optimization algorithms.
Primary Discipline: Computer Engineering
Research Areas: Computer Science, Artificial Intelligence
Institution: Konya Technical University Faculty of Engineering and Natural Sciences, Department of Computer Engineering
Assoc. Prof. Cem Tekin
Awarded the TÜBİTAK Encouragement Award for his internationally recognized work on machine learning, data science, and cognitive communications.
Primary Discipline: Electrical and Electronics Engineering
Research Areas: Computer Science, Artificial Intelligence, Engineering, Electrical and Electronics, Telecommunications, Statistics, and Probability
Institution: İhsan Doğramacı Bilkent University Faculty of Engineering, Department of Electrical-Electronics Engineering
Health Sciences
Assoc. Prof. Ahmet Eken
Awarded the TÜBİTAK Encouragement Award for his internationally recognized work on immunology, molecular biology, autoimmune diseases, and primary immunodeficiency research.
Primary Discipline: Basic Immunology, Medical Biology
Research Areas: Immunology
Institution: Erciyes University Faculty of Medicine, Department of Basic Medical Sciences
Assoc. Prof. Yavuz Nuri Ertaş
Awarded the TÜBİTAK Encouragement Award for his internationally recognized work on cancer treatment using nanoparticles and biomaterials in biomedical engineering and nanomedicine.
Primary Discipline: Biomedical Engineering
Research Areas: Cell & Tissue Engineering, Biomedical Engineering, Multidisciplinary Material Science, Biomaterials, Nanoscience & Nanotechnology, Radiology, Nuclear Medicine & Medical Imaging
Institution: Erciyes University Faculty of Engineering, Department of Biomedical Engineering
Assoc. Prof. Fatih İnci
Awarded the TÜBİTAK Encouragement Award for his internationally recognized work on biotechnology, biomedical engineering, and nanotechnology in patient-specific diagnostic tests, biosensors, microfluidics, and clinical applications.
Primary Discipline: Biotechnology, Biomedical Engineering, Nanotechnology
Research Areas: Biotechnology and Applied Microbiology, Engineering, Biomedicine, Nanoscience and Nanotechnology
Institution: İhsan Doğramacı Bilkent University National Nanotechnology Research Center (UNAM)
Prof. İpek Süntar
Awarded the TÜBİTAK Encouragement Award for her internationally recognized work on the bioactivities and phytochemical properties of Turkish medicinal plants.
Primary Discipline: Pharmacognosy
Research Areas: Pharmacology and Pharmacy, Plant Sciences, Complementary and Integrative Medicine, Chemistry (Medicinal)
Institution: Gazi University Faculty of Pharmacy, Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences
Social and Human Sciences
Assoc. Prof. Ali Erken
Awarded the TÜBİTAK Encouragement Award for his internationally recognized work in the field of education and the history of science.
Primary Discipline: History
Research Areas: History
Institution: Marmara University Institute for Middle Eastern and Islamic Studies, Department of Political History and International Relations in the Middle East
Asst. Prof. Eren Günseli
Awarded the TÜBİTAK Encouragement Award for his internationally recognized work on the interconnected study of neuropsychological functions.
Primary Discipline: Psychology
Research Areas: Psychology, Experimental Cognitive Neuroscience
Institution: Sabancı University Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences, Department of Psychology