Onur

[09/01/26] Numbword was featured in PCGamer

Our daily word puzzle game Numbword was featured by PC Gamer as one of the best Wordle alternatives. We also just crossed 300K+ total plays. 🎉

[15/09/25] Our paper is published in Leukemia

We dissect NPM1-mutated AML into finer subtypes and demonstrate that these distinctions are consistent across modalities (mRNA and cell surface proteins) using single-cell technologies.

Importantly, we also identify rare hematopoietic stem cells (HSCs), both healthy and leukemic, shedding light on the earliest events in leukemogenesis with potential implications for prognosis and therapy.

Read the paper here.

[07/05/25] Launched DuoBook (#1 post on HackerNews)

We launched DuoBook, a platform for bilingual reading across the web, helping users learn languages through real content; the project reached #1 on Hacker News at launch.

Older News

[19/03/25] Our paper in Aging Cell was recognized as one of the most cited papers of the year

[22/01/25] Presented our results at DHC’2025

[25/12/24] Our latest preprint is online

[16/09/24] ceLLama is highlighted in Nature

Our single-cell annotation framework ceLLama is featured in Nature, highlighting the potential of local large language models for scalable and interpretable cell-type annotation.

[16/09/24] Our paper is published in Blood Adv.

Our work in Blood Advances investigates hematopoietic biology and regulatory mechanisms relevant to stem/progenitor cell function and therapeutic applications in blood disorders.

[18/05/24] Our paper is published in npj PO.

In npj Precision Oncology, we introduce a single-cell–guided deconvolution framework that reconstructs AML differentiation states and predicts drug response, linking cellular composition to therapy resistance.

[15/02/24] Our paper is published in Leukemia

In this study we map transcriptomic heterogeneity across AML cohorts, identifying novel subtypes with distinct biology and drug response profiles beyond genetic classification.

[07/01/24] Our paper is published in Nature Immunology

We characterize how baseline immune states shape vaccine responses, revealing distinct cellular and transcriptional predictors of immunological outcomes in aging.

I am a Postdoctoral Researcher at Leiden University Medical Center, where I study acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) using integrative computational and genomic approaches.

My work builds on my PhD in Computational Oncology at LUMC, where I developed single-cell multi-omics and machine learning frameworks to dissect the molecular heterogeneity of acute myeloid leukemia (AML). Together, these projects aim to uncover novel biomarkers and therapeutic targets that can inform precision medicine and improve patient outcomes.

Previously, I was a Computational Biologist at The Jackson Laboratory, investigating the molecular signatures of immune aging in mouse and human cohorts. My research has been featured in leading journals, including Nature Immunology, Cell, and Leukemia, and I have presented at major international conferences.

Beyond the lab, I served as Director of Communications at Nucleate Netherlands, a non-profit that empowers early-stage bio-entrepreneurs by connecting them with the biotech ecosystem.

I hold a BSc in Electrical and Electronics Engineering and an MSc in Computer Science from Bilkent University, Turkey. Outside of research, I enjoy drumming, tennis, and world literature.