Assoc. Prof. Ayça Sayı Yazgan

Academic Positions

2013-contd
Associate Prof, Istanbul Technical University
Department of Molecular Biology and Genetics

2010-2013
Assistant Prof, Istanbul Technical University
Department of Molecular Biology and Genetics

2006-2010
Postdoctoral fellow, University of Zurich, Switzerland
Working in the group of Prof. Anne Mueller.

Education

2001 – 2006 Ph.D. student, University of Basel, Switzerland
Worked as a PhD student initially at Friedrich Miescher Institute
Novartis Foundation (2001-2003) and subsequently in Institute of Cell Biology at ETH Zurich (2003-2006)
Worked under supervision of Prof. Wilhelm Krek.

1999 – 2001 M.Sc., Department of Molecular Biology and Genetics, Bilkent University, Ankara, Turkey
Worked under supervision of Prof.Tayfun Ozcelik

1997 – 2001 B. Sc., Department of Biomedical Sciences, Cerrahpasa Medical Faculty, Istanbul University, Turkey

Projects

Supported by Name of the Project Worked as
UBS Foundation, Switzerland, 2007-2009 The immune response to Helicobacter pylori infection and its role in gastric carcinogenesis Researcher
Desiree & Yde’s Foundation, Switzerland, 2007-2010 The immune response to Helicobacter pylori infection and its role in gastric carcinogenesis Researcherl
Stiftung zur Krebsbekaempfung, Switzerland, Characterization of the regulatory role of T- and B- cell subsets in the control of Helicobacter – induced gastric preneoplasia Researcher
İTÜ Scientific Research Foundation, Turkey, 2010 Investigating the interaction between Helicobacter pylori -infected gastric epithelial cells and B cells in molecular level Project Leader
Tübitak Project, Turkey, 2011-2014 The molecular characterization of Helicobacter specific regulatory B cells Project Leader
İTÜ Scientific Research Foundation, Turkey, 2011-2014 The interaction between H.pylori infection and the response of T helper cells (Th1, Th2, Th17) in infected human gastric biopsies Project Leader
Tübitak Project, Turkey, 2013-2016 Investigation of the functional interactions between Helicobacter-activated regulatory B cells with innate and cell-mediated immune system Project Leader
Tübitak Project, Turkey, 2015-2016 Gene expression profiling of Helicobacter activated regulatory B cells Project Leader
Tübitak Project, Turkey, 2014-2017 Investigation on the Effects of Mechanical Forces on Endothel Cells Behaviour by Using Microfludics Systems in the domain of Mechanobiology Researcher

Memberships

• International Society for Interferon and Cytokine Research
• Turkish Society of Immunology (General Secretary since 2013)
• Turkish Medical Biology & Genetics Organization
• Molecular Biology Organization (MolbioTurk)
• Molecular Cancer Research Organization (MOKAD)
• The European Association for Cancer Research (EACR)
• Society for Leukocyte Biology (SLB)
• American Society for Microbiology (ASM)

Publications

Articles
  1. S. Oktem Okullu, A. Tiftikci, M. Saruc, B. Cicek, E. Vardareli, N. Tozun, T. Kocagoz, U. Sezerman, AS Yavuz,A. Sayi Yazgan “Multiplex-PCR-Based Screening and Computational Modeling of Virulence Factors and T-Cell Mediated Immunity in Helicobacter pylori Infections for Accurate Clinical Diagnosis”, PLoS One, August 2015, Vol 10, no 8, e0136212
  2. R. Caliskan, A. Sayi Yazgan, H. B. Tokman, E. Sofyali, Y. Z. Erzin, O. Akgul, A. Kurt, F. Kalayci, T. Ziver, P. Yuksel, K. Bal, B. Kocazeybek “The cytokine response in THP-1 (monocyte) and HL-60 (neutrophil-differentiated) cells infected with different genotypes of Helicobacter pylori strains”, Turkish Journal of Gastroenterology, July 2015, Vol 26, no 4, 297-303,
  3. M. Zuvin, N. Mansur, Z. S. Birol, L. Trabzon, A. Sayi Yazgan “Human breast
    cancer cell enrichment by Dean flow driven microfluidic channels”, Microsystem Technologies, January 2015
  4. I. Hitzler, E. Kohler, D. B. Engler, A. Sayi Yazgan, A. Müller “The role of Th cell subsets in the control of Helicobacter infections and in T-cell driven gastric immunopathology”, Frontiers in Mucosal Immunity, June 2012, Vol 3, no 142, 1-8,
  5. I. Hitzler, A. Sayi, E. Kohler, D. B. Engler, K. N. Koch, W. D. Hardt, A. Müller “Caspase-1 has both pro-inflammatory and regulatory properties in Helicobacter infections, which are differentially mediated by its substrates IL-1β and IL-18” Journal of Immunology April 2012; Vol 188, no. 8, 3594-602
  6. A. Sayi, E. Kohler, I. Toller, R. A. Flavell, W. Mueller, A. Roers, A. Mueller “ TLR-2–Activated B Cells Suppress Helicobacter-Induced Preneoplastic Gastric Immunopathology by Inducing T Regulatory-1” Journal of Immunology Jan 2011; Vol. 186, no. 2, 878-890
  7. I.Toller, I.Hitzler, A.Sayi, A.Mueller (2010). “Prostaglandin E2 prevents Helicobacter-induced gastric preneoplasia and facilitates persistent infection in a mouse model” Gastroenterology, April 2010, Vol 138:issue 4, 1455-1467
  8. A.Mueller, A.Sayi, I.Hitzler, “Protective and pathogenic functions of T-cells are inseparable during the Helicobacter-host interaction”,Discovery Medicine, published on September 2009
  9. A.Sayi, E.Kohler, I.Hitzler, Isabelle Arnold, Reto Schwendener, Hubert Rehrauer, A.Mueller (2009) “The CD4+ T-cell-mediated Interferon-gamma response to Helicobacter infection is essential for clearance and determines gastric cancer risk”, Journal of Immunology, 2009 June; 182: 7085-7101.
  10. Topcu M, Akyerli C, Sayi A, Toruner GA, Kocoglu SR, Cimbis M, Ozcelik T. Somatic mosaicism for a MECP2 mutation associated with classic Rett syndrome in a boy. Eur J Hum Genet. 2002 Jan;10(1):77-81.