Training

We are excited to announce that Dr. Emma Yhnell (Cardiff University, UK) will be giving a webinar as part of the IBG Teaching & Training (T&T) series.

Dr. Yhnell’s talk is titled ’Reimagining scientific excellence: why communication is core to competency’.

This session will explore why effective communication should be recognised as a core scientific competency and how it enables researchers to create meaningful impact beyond academia.

Date: Thursday, 2 July 2026

Time: 11:00 AM (GMT+3)

Location: Online

Please follow the link to register for the talk and we will send you the meeting details.

About the session:

Scientific excellence has traditionally been defined through research outputs, grants and publications. But in an increasingly complex and interconnected world, is that definition still fit for purpose? In this session Dr Emma Yhnell will challenge conventional notions of academic success and argue that communication should be a core professional competency for scientists, which is appropriately recognised and rewarded.

Drawing on her career as a neuroscientist, award-winning educator, science communicator and Associate Dean for Equity, Diversity and Inclusion at Cardiff University, Emma will explore how effective communication underpins every aspect of scientific practice. From engaging patients and research participants, to teaching students, influencing policy, collaborating across disciplines and building public trust in science, communication is central to creating meaningful impact.

Reflecting on her own journey from laboratory-based Huntington’s disease research to clinical research, higher education leadership and national media engagement, Emma will share how communication skills have shaped her career and expanded the reach of her work beyond traditional academic boundaries. Along the way, she will draw on experiences ranging from BBC radio presenting and science festivals to public engagement initiatives and international leadership roles.

About the speaker:

Dr Emma Yhnell is a passionate and multi award-winning educator and science communicator, she won the Society for Neuroscience Science Educator Award in 2024 and a National Teaching Fellowship in 2023, and is currently Associate Dean of Equity, Diversity and Inclusion and a Reader in Neuroscience at Cardiff University.

Emma obtained a BSc degree in Biochemistry before completing a PhD in Huntington’s disease. She then began an independent research fellowship to translate her findings on cognitive training into the patient clinic. Emma’s clinical research inspired her and demonstrated the need to provide accessible and engaging information to diverse public audiences.

Emma now teaches the next generation of budding scientists as a teaching and scholarship focused academic. Emma delivers engaging and interactive sessions with passion and infectious enthusiasm, and she has built a reputation for her ability to untangle the academically technical and translate it into entertaining, relevant and engaging content. As a first generation academic with expertise in equity, diversity and inclusion, and a passion and desire to embrace change, Emma is changing the typical image of academia by making science more open, honest and fun. 

This course aims to provide training to PhD students, Post-Docs and early-career faculty members studying/working in the health sciences and basic sciences on project types, project writing, and execution processes through case studies, and to provide experience in writing and executing qualified, applicable, and high-impact TÜBİTAK research project proposals. 

The “Interactive Scientific Research Project Proposal Writing Training,” supported under the TÜBİTAK 2237-B program, will be held on May 14-15, 2026 at Izmir Biomedicine and Genome Center, Izmir, Türkiye.

This course is open only to participants who reside in Türkiye and are registered in the TÜBİTAK–ARBİS system.

Training will be in English.

Topics

The training will cover:

• Key components of an R&D project, including hypothesis development, literature review, preliminary data presentation, project planning and structure (risk analysis, budgeting, and team organization)
• Reasons for project application rejection and project revision
• Execution and reporting of projects that qualify for support

For application details, please visit the event page.

Click here to watch the recording of this past event.

We are pleased to announce an upcoming IBG Teaching & Training Seminar featuring Assoc. Prof. Eva Szegezdi, from University of Galway, Ireland. The presentation, which will be in webinar format, will be held on April 7, 2026 at 11:00 AM Turkish time.

To participate online, please register using the QR code or by following the link: https://luma.com/nt4d9hjl

This session will provide an overview of the development and practical application of research ethics in human studies. It will cover key historical milestones that shaped modern ethical standards, introduce the concept of bioethics, and outline the core principles guiding responsible research, including scientific validity, fair subject selection, risk–benefit balance, independent review, informed consent, and respect for participants.

The session will also address how these principles inform study design and ethical approval processes.

About the speaker
Dr. Eva Szegezdi is an Associate Professor in Biochemistry, Director of Blood Cancer Network Ireland, Coordinator of the INTEGRATE Doctorate Programme in Integrative Genomics, and co-PI at Precision Oncology Ireland. Her research focuses on tumour microenvironment-driven drug resistance, with particular emphasis on acute myeloid leukaemia. Her group develops advanced cellular models and biobanking approaches to study disease progression and identify therapeutic vulnerabilities.

We are excited to be hosting Prof. Robert Harris (Karolinska Institutet, Sweden) at IBG as part of the IBG Teaching & Training (T&T) series.

Dr. Harris will give a seminar titled ‘Effective Communication and Feedback within PhD Education’.

This session will enhance your communication skills and support meaningful feedback exchanges within your PhD education journey.

Date: Monday, March 23^rd 2026
Time: 13:00-14:30

Location: IBG Aziz Sancar Auditorium

Seminar Overview

Communication is central to success within PhD education, and the ability to give and receive feedback constructively is essential for fostering growth and development in research students.

During this session, participants will:

1. Discover strategies for adapting communication styles to the individual needs and preferences, fostering a supportive, inclusive and productive educational environment.
2. Understand the principles of effective feedback delivery, including specificity, timeliness, and balance between praise and constructive criticism.
3. Explore ways to foster a culture of continuous improvement and learning within your research group by promoting open and constructive feedback exchanges among students and between students and supervisors.

About the speaker

Professor Robert Harris has been the Academic Vice President for Doctoral Education at Karolinska Institutet since 2019. He has held several leadership roles in doctoral education at KI and previously served as President of ORPHEUS.

He leads the Applied Immunology and Immunotherapy research group at the Centre for Molecular Medicine at KI, focusing on translational research into chronic inflammatory diseases of the nervous system, particularly Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis and Multiple Sclerosis. Prof. Harris has received several international awards for his contributions to doctoral education and has helped develop innovative immunotherapy approaches, including a vaccine candidate for Type 1 diabetes in collaboration with Diamyd Medical AB.

Click here to watch the recording of this past event.

RareBoost and IBG Teaching & Training (T&T) are pleased to invite you to an interactive seminar focused on building sustainable and impactful research careers.

This session is designed for MSc and PhD students, postdoctoral researchers, and early-career scientists who aim to strengthen their research skills, career planning, and long-term professional development.

Speaker

Prof. Dr. Gül Güner Akdoğan

Date: Thursday, 19 February 2026

Time: 11:00 – 12:00

Location: IBG Aziz Sancar Auditorium

Seminar Overview

The seminar will provide a structured roadmap for researchers at different career stages. Through an interactive format, Prof. Dr. Akdoğan will address key topics including:

• Motivation and attributes of a successful researcher
• Fundamentals of research design and methodology
• Writing and publication excellence
• Finding funding opportunities
• Collaboration and networking skills
• Overcoming common research challenges
• Building and strengthening a research portfolio

Drawing on extensive international experience through organizations such as FEBS, ORPHEUS, and IUBMB, the speaker will share practical insights and real-world examples. Participants will gain actionable tools for developing a personalized career action plan, enhancing productivity, and supporting long-term research well-being.

The IBG Teaching & Training Series will host a session titled “Inflammation in the cancer microenvironment” by Dr. Philippe Krebs on December 4, 2025 at 12:15 PM (GMT+3). The event will take place online.

Those interested in attending are kindly asked to register via the following link: https://luma.com/c33mo273

About the session

Inflammation is a double-edged sword in cancer — it can protect the body, but it can also promote tumor growth. Observational studies have shown that common anti-inflammatory drugs like aspirin and other NSAIDs reduce the risk of several cancers, revealing a strong connection between infection, chronic inflammation, and cancer development. Long-lasting inflammation can damage tissues, destabilize the genome, and create a tumor microenvironment (TME) that favors cancer growth.

In this first part of the lecture, we will explore how inflammation shapes the TME and how different immune cells—such as macrophages, neutrophils, and T cells—can either fight or support tumor progression. We will also discuss key inflammatory mediators, including cytokines, chemokines, and prostaglandins, and how they influence tumor growth, blood vessel formation, and immune evasion.

In the second part, I will present our recent research on the alarmin/cytokine IL-33, focusing on how this molecule contributes to colorectal cancer development and progression. Together, these topics will highlight why understanding inflammation is essential for designing new strategies to prevent and treat cancer.

About the speaker:

After getting his MSc in Biochemistry at the University of Fribourg (2001), Philippe Krebs worked on his PhD thesis at the Institute of Experimental Immunology at the University Hospital of Zurich and at the Institute of Immunobiology at the Cantonal Hospital of St-Gallen. After receiving his PhD from the ETHZ (2005), he went for a postdoctoral training to The Scripps Research Institute in San Diego, California. Since October 2011, he is independent research group leader at the Institute of Pathology of the University of Bern. His research interests lie in the role of inflammation for tumorigenesis as well as the cross-talk of innate and adaptive immunity in sterile and infectious conditions.

Click here to watch the recording of this past event.

The IBG Teaching & Training Series will host a session titled “Introduction to Immunology” by Dr. Gerhard Wingender on November 24, 2025 at 11:00 AM. The event will take place in a hybrid format, allowing participants to join either on-site at IBG or online.

Those interested in attending online are kindly asked to register via the following link: https://luma.com/pxulk3dh

About the session

This lecture will provide a short introduction to the immune system, with its main players, traits, and underlying principles. Featuring, among other things, a bubble-boy, movies, comics, and a cheetah.

About the speaker:

Dr. Wingender is an accomplished immunologist with 25 years of experience in innate and adaptive immunity and a Research Group Leader at the Izmir Biomedicine and Genome Center (IBG, Izmir, Turkey). His current research interest is the role of iNKT and MAIT cells, in the context of lung inflammations, cancer, and autoimmune diseases. The experimental approaches with human samples and mouse models are complemented by bioinformatics approaches. Dr. Wingender’s work resulted in 38 peer-reviewed publications (e.g. Journal of Experimental Medicine, Journal of Clinical Investigation, Gastroenterology; h-index: 22) and he is the project coordinator for several national and international grants, including the MSCA-SE project CHIRON and IBG’s ERA Chair project RareBoost.

Join us on October 22nd at 11am for an inspiring session with Prof. Fahri Saatçıoğlu from the University of Oslo, who will explore the science and practice of breathing for better health and wellbeing.

About the speaker:

Prof. Fahri Saatçıoğlu is a molecular and cell biologist trained at Maharishi International University and the University of California, San Diego. Since 1996, he has led a research group at the University of Oslo focusing on hormone action, stress signaling, and carcinogenesis. Beyond his distinguished scientific career, he is a dedicated yoga practitioner and instructor, combining his passion for research with his deep interest in yogic philosophy and practices.

IBG Teaching & Training Series is hosting Dr. Kaan Mert Güven from Müderris Training and Consultancy for two separate training sessions on October 9, 2025.

The morning training session, “Effective Communication Skills”, will be held in IBG Room 3004 from 9:00 to 12:30. For more information and program of this session, please click here.

The afternoon session ‘Conflict Management’ will be held in IBG Room 3004 from 14:00 to 17:30. For more information and program of this session, please click here.

IMPORTANT NOTE: You may choose to register for one session or both sessions (one session costs 200 ₺ and both sessions cost 400 ₺). Please see registration details in the event page.

About the training

Conflict is an inevitable part of personal and professional life. This training helps participants understand the nature of conflict, why it arises, and how it evolves. By introducing the cycle of conflict and the Thomas–Kilmann Conflict Management Styles, participants will gain tools to approach conflicts more constructively. The session balances theory with experiential exercises, fostering skills in resolution and personal style awareness.

Visit the event page to view the program and register.

IBG Teaching & Training Series is hosting Dr. Kaan Mert Güven from Müderris Training and Consultancy for two separate training sessions on October 9, 2025.

The morning training session, “Effective Communication Skills”, will be held in IBG Room 3004 from 9:00 to 12:30. For more information and program of this session, please click here.

The afternoon session ‘Conflict Management’ will be held in IBG Room 3004 from 14:00 to 17:30. For more information and program of this session, please click here.

IMPORTANT NOTE: You may choose to register for one session or both sessions (one session costs 200 ₺ and both sessions cost 400 ₺). Please see registration details in the event page.

About the training

This training introduces participants to the fundamentals of effective communication. By exploring the meaning, process, barriers, and practices of communication, participants will become more aware of their own communication styles and learn techniques to improve understanding, empathy, and active listening in professional and personal settings. Through interactive activities and reflections, the session will help participants enhance self-awareness and strengthen interpersonal connections.

Visit the event page to view the program and register.

The International Centre for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology (ICGEB) is organizing a course on ‘Latest Advances in Genome Editing and ART Technologies in Laboratory Animals’ in collaboration with Izmir Biomedicine and Genome Center (IBG) and the RareBoost project, to be held on September 15-19, 2025, at IBG in Izmir.

The course will provide comprehensive training on use of genome editing (CRISPR) technologies in laboratory animals (mouse and zebrafish) and assisted reproductive technologies (ART) in mice.

Topics include:

• selection of the genome editing strategy and design of the sgRNAs/ssDNAs,
• preparation and delivery of gene targeting tools into mouse and zebrafish embryos through microinjection or electroporation,
• production of mouse embryos by in vitro fertilization,
• manipulation and cryopreservation of mouse embryos and sperm.

Note: Call for applications to attend this course has closed on 22 June 2025.

For more information about the course, please visit: www.icgeb.org/genome-editing-and-art-tech-turkiye-2025/

RareBoost and Turkish Biochemical Society (TBS) Academy is hosting a joint workshop titled ‘Getting the Most out of a Conference – From Passive to Proactive: Conference Survival Skills for Young Scientists’ scheduled to take place on Tuesday, 9th September 2025.

This interactive workshop will equip students and early-career scientists with essential skills to make the most of their conference experiences, from effective networking and poster presentations to asking good questions, following up with contacts, and navigating social dynamics.

Participants will engage in practical activities, reflective discussions, and scenario-based exercises designed to build awareness, intention, and communication skills before, during, and after a conference.

The workshop will also provide a valuable opportunity to reflect on academic identity, professional development, and the importance of visibility in the scientific community. Whether you’re attending your first meeting or looking to elevate your presence at international events, this session will help you shift from a passive attendee to a proactive participant – making every minute of a conference count.

The workshop will be given by Prof. Ferhan Girgin Sağın, MD, PhD.

Date: Tuesday, 9th September 2025

Place: IBG Room 3004

Time: 10:00-12:30
Registration fee: None

Limited seats are available for the session and registration is required. Click here to register.

Visit the event page for the program.

Click here to watch the recording of this past event.

As part of the IBG Teaching & Training Presentation Series, we will hold a session titled “Decoding Bioinformatics Visualizations: A practical guide to understand common scientific figures” presented by Dr. Tutku Yaraş, computational genomicist and Director of the IBG-Bioinformatics Platform.

Dr. Yaraş will introduce participants to the basics of interpreting and designing data visualizations in modern life sciences. The session will explain how commonly used figures in bioinformatics (e.g.heatmaps, volcano plots, PCA plots) can be understood and scrutinized.

This session aims to build critical visual literacy by helping researchers not only read figures more effectively, but also communicate their results more clearly.

This event will be held in a hybrid format, allowing for both in-person and online participation. 

Online participation requires registration. Please scan the QR code on the poster or visit the link below to register.

Event Details:

Date: 10 July 2025, Thursday

Time: 11.00

Location: IBG Aziz Sancar Auditorium

As part of the IBG Teaching & Training Series, we will hold a full-day, in-person session on “Body Language & Effective Presentation Techniques” on May 14 2025 at IBG.

The training will be given by Dr. Kaan Mert Güven from Müderris Training & Consultancy.

This training aims to equip participants with essential body language and presentation techniques to enhance their communication skills, confidence, and audience engagement.

By focusing on posture, gestures, facial expressions, voice modulation, and storytelling, participants will learn to deliver impactful and persuasive presentations in professional and academic settings.

Date: 14 May 2025

Time: 09:00-17:00

Place: Izmir Biomedicine and Genome Center, Aziz Sancar Auditorium

Limited seats are available for the session and registration is required.

For more details on the training and to register, please visit the event page.

Click here to watch the recording of this past event.

As part of the IBG Teaching & Training Presentation Series, we will hold a session titled “The AI Revolution in Structural Biology: 2024 Chemistry Nobel Prize” presented by Assist. Prof. Ezgi Karaca.

Dr. Karaca will present the transformative impact of artificial intelligence in structural biology and discuss the groundbreaking advancements that led to the 2024 Nobel Prize in Chemistry.

The session will focus on AI-powered tools such as AlphaFold, which have revolutionized protein structure prediction. These advancements have opened new frontiers in drug discovery, biotechnology, and molecular biology, fundamentally reshaping life sciences. Additionally, the session will explore how these developments will shape the future of the field.

This event will be held in a hybrid format, allowing for both in-person and online participation. 

Event Details:
 : 15 April 2025, Tuesday
 : 14.00
 : IBG Aziz Sancar Auditorium

As part of IBG Teaching and Training Series, RareBoost is excited to invite you to a special two-part webinar on Intercultural Communication for Scientists: Challenges and Strategies with Dr. Gamze Arman, a renowned Work and Organizational Psychologist.

Training Schedule:

Session 1: Wednesday, 19th February (13:00–14:00 TRT)

Session 2: Thursday, 6th March (13:00–14:00 TRT)

Format: Online & Live Screening at IBG Aziz Sancar Auditorium

What to Expect:

• Identify key challenges in intercultural communication, including language barriers & cultural differences
• Develop essential skills like self-awareness, cultural agility & effective communication across global scientific environments
• Gain actionable strategies to enhance collaboration in virtual & in-person settings

Click here to watch the recording of this past event.

On Thursday, December 10, 2024, IBG Neurogenomics Laboratory Group Leader Dr. Yavuz Oktay will give a presentation titled ‘Application of iPSCs in Disease Modeling and Therapeutic Development’.

The presentation will discuss the fundamental information about induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs), their applications in research and therapeutic potential.

The seminar will be held at 2:00 pm in the Aziz Sancar Auditorium at IBG.

We are looking forward to your participation!

Click here to watch the recording of this past event.

On November 21st 2024, Dr. Gerhard Wingender will give a Teaching & Training presentation discussing ‘Authorship and Reproducibility of Science’.

We will discuss two questions:

 (1) Who should be an author? Please think about what criteria you would choose to judge whether someone should be listed on a scientific publication.

(2) Do we have a reproducibility crisis in science? Please think about whether you had problems reproducing published data, does science has a structural problem with reproducibility, and if yes, what could be done.

The seminar will take place at 11 am on Thursday, 21 November 2024, at the Aziz Sancar Auditorium at Izmir Biomedicine and Genome Center (IBG).

To join online, please register.

We look forward to your paticipation!

We are starting of a new series of presentations to improve the soft-skills capacities of IBG researchers.

The first presentation in this series will be a presentation by Noor Fatima, RareBoost’s Training Officer, on designing effective research presentations.

The presentation will cover:

• Crafting Effective and Impactful Research Presentations
• Focusing on Slide Content
• Visual Design Do’s and Don’ts

We look forward to your participation!

Date: Tuesday, 22 October 2024

Time: 3:30 pm

Place: IBG Aziz Sancar Auditorium