Dr. Öztürk, Winner of the TÜBA-GEBİP Award, Receives Significant Support from Europe
Dr. Duygu Kuzuoğlu Öztürk, recipient of the TÜBA-GEBİP Award, was one of 10 scientists selected for the 2026 EMBO Installation Grants by the European Molecular Biology Organization (EMBO).
Dr. Öztürk, a faculty member at Sabancı University, aims to investigate a previously unknown function of an oncogene that plays a crucial role in the development of prostate cancer and to develop new therapeutic methods through her research titled “Beyond Transcription: A Non-Canonical Role for AR in Prostate Cancer.” EMBO will provide an annual grant of 50,000 euros for five years to contribute to the long-term and sustainable development of the research.
The EMBO Installation Grant is designed to strengthen research leadership, increase international collaboration, and encourage knowledge transfer. It is awarded to support young group leaders who are establishing their own independent laboratories in the life sciences. The recipient, who receives €50,000 in annual financial support, also joins EMBO's extensive international research network.
Who is Dr. Duygu Kuzuoğlu Öztürk?
She received her bachelor's degree from the Department of Molecular Biology and Genetics at Istanbul Technical University (ITU) and her master's degree from the Biology Sciences and Bioengineering Program at Sabancı University, after which she went to Germany for her doctoral studies. She worked in Dr. Elisa Izaurralde's laboratory at the Max Planck Institute for Developmental Biology in Tübingen, where she investigated the role of the core deadenylase complex CCR4-NOT in miRNA-mediated gene silencing. After completing her PhD with the highest honors (summa cum laude), she joined Dr. Davide Ruggero's laboratory at the University of California, San Francisco (UCSF) as a postdoctoral researcher.
During her postdoctoral studies, she won several competitive awards, including a long-term fellowship from the European Molecular Biology Organization (EMBO), a postdoctoral fellowship from the Human Frontiers Science Program (HFSP), and a research award from the UCSF Prostate Cancer Program. During her postdoctoral research, he had the opportunity to work with many different cancer models on the regulation of gene expression at the translation level. Her work in the field of prostate cancer was supported by the US Department of Defense (DOD). She began working as a faculty member at Sabancı University in early 2025. She established a new laboratory to continue her independent research. In addition to receiving a TÜBİTAK 2232 return-to-country scholarship, her work was supported by TÜBA-GEBİP and the L'Oreal-UNESCO For Women in Science program. Dr. Kuzuoğlu Öztürk continues her work and collaborations as a faculty member at UCSF.