TÜBA Member Prof. Dr. Gürsan Contributes to Global Report
The study titled “From Presence to Power: Women Leading in Science,” featured in the 2026 global report prepared by the Inter-Academy Partnership (IAP), highlights women who shape scientific institutions, advance research, and guide future generations. TÜBA Full Member Prof. Dr. K. Arzum Erdem Gürsan was included in the study among scientists who have attained leadership positions despite persistent structural barriers.
The relevant 2026 global report of the IAP notes that Prof. Gürsan has spearheaded the development of biosensors in the fields of health, food, and the environment, and that she has supported women in the scientific community through her role in the Women in Science and Engineering (WISE) initiative of the Association of Academies and Societies of Sciences in Asia (AASSA). It was emphasized that she is not merely a scientist but a visionary leader shaping the future of global science. It was reported that she has transformed the innovative biosensor technologies she developed in Türkiye in the fields of health, food, and the environment into tangible social benefits by taking them beyond the confines of the laboratory. It was underlined that she has played a pioneering role in her field through the numerous national and international projects she has led throughout her career, her high-impact publications contributing to the scientific literature, and the patents validating her innovative approaches, while also actively shaping science policies by serving on many prestigious global and national scientific committees. In addition to her scientific productivity, it was emphasized that Prof. Dr. Gürsan has created a strong academic tradition through her mentorship of countless master’s and doctoral students from around the world, serving as an inspiring model for the next generation of scientists by blending research, education, and global collaboration.
Expressing her honor at representing Türkiye and TÜBA through her inclusion in the IAP, Prof. Dr. Gürsan stated that diverse perspectives in science trigger innovation, international collaboration broadens horizons, and contributes to the development of transformative solutions.
Prof. Dr. K. Arzum Erdem Gürsan said, “Science progresses when it is recognized as a field that leads diverse minds. Throughout my career, I have witnessed how inclusive collaboration strengthens innovation and how mentorship transforms potential into tangible impact. Supporting women in science is not merely a matter of representation; it is about ensuring that talent, wherever it may be, can shape the future of research and society." She added that women advancing in science broaden horizons, drive innovation, and inspire future generations.
Who is Prof. Dr. K. Arzum Erdem Gürsan?
She graduated from the Faculty of Pharmacy at Ege University in 1993. She completed her master’s degree in 1996 and her Ph.D. in 2000 in the Department of Analytical Chemistry at the same faculty. She worked as an assistant professor from 2000 to 2003 and as an associate professor from 2003 to 2009 in the Department of Analytical Chemistry within the Department of Basic Pharmaceutical Sciences at the Faculty of Pharmacy, Ege University.
In 2001, Prof. Gürsan was awarded the “TÜBA-Outstanding Young Scientist (GEBİP) Award” under the TÜBA program for outstanding young scientists. He was also awarded the TÜBİTAK Incentive Award in the field of Natural Sciences-Chemistry by the Scientific and Technological Research Council of Türkiye (TÜBİTAK) in 2006 and the TÜBİTAK Science Award in the field of Health Sciences in 2015. She was elected an Associate Member of the Turkish Academy of Sciences (TÜBA) in 2007 and a Full Member in 2016. In 2017, she received the title of Fellow of the Royal Society of Chemistry (FRSC), awarded to distinguished scientists who have made significant contributions in the field of chemistry.
In 2017, Prof. Gürsan was elected as a “Member” of the Women in Science and Engineering (WISE) Committee of the Association of Academies and Societies of Sciences in Asia (AASSA) for the 2017–2019 term. She was re-elected as a “Member” for her fifth term and continues her activities on the committee.
Gürsan, who has been serving as a member of the Presidential Council on Science, Technology, and Innovation Policies since 2025, also serves as a member of the UNESCO-IBPS (International Basic Sciences Programme) and the ALLEA-EDI Working Group. She serves as an Associate Editor and has been serving as Co-Editor-in-Chief of the open-access journal “Biosensors and Bioelectronics: X,” which is affiliated with this journal, since 2021.
Prof. Dr. Gürsan, who was selected as one of the researchers supported in 2021 under the 2247-A National Leading Researchers Program administered by the Presidency of Scientific Researcher Support Programs at TÜBİTAK, has published over 230 , over 40 invited presentations at national and international meetings and conferences, 1 international and 1 national book he edited, 15 international book chapters, and 10 compilations, as well as 10 national patents registered between 2018 and 2026. According to current Web of Science (WoS) records, she has over 8,500 citations, and her h-index is 48.
Prof. Arzum Erdem Gürsan has conducted numerous national and international collaborative studies in the development and application of electrochemical biosensors based on drugs, enzymes, and nucleic acids. She conducts scientific research on "drug-DNA interactions, aptamer-protein interactions, sequence-selective nucleic acid hybridization based on genetic and infectious diseases, and the development and application of next-generation biosensor/ aptasensor technologies based on single and multi-measurement principles." Arzum Erdem Gürsan aims to develop electrochemical biosensors based on magnetic particles, carbon nanotubes, graphene and graphene-based nanomaterials, nanorods, nanowires, nanoparticles, dendrimers, conductive polymers, and biopolymers. She is also working on the development of analytical systems integrated with electrochemical sensors for the detection of various analytes in the fields of environment, food, and health. She continues her research at the Department of Analytical Chemistry, Division of Basic Pharmaceutical Sciences, Faculty of Pharmacy, Ege University.
For more information: https://www.arzumerdem.com