From Türkiye to High-Impact Research: A Decade of Dedication
A decade ago, I arrived in the United States from Türkiye with no English language skills and a background in physical education rather than traditional science. Within two years, I learned the language and then earned my first master’s degree in a teaching-based institution in the following years.
My passion for research then led me to a second master’s at UMass Amherst, where I focused on physiology in health and disease and completed my thesis. Building on that experience, I began my PhD under my professor’s mentorship. Along the way, I presented my findings at conferences and earned a Distinguished Abstract award at the American Physiology Summit. Now, that same thesis has been published in a high-impact journal, an achievement made possible by resilience, curiosity, and invaluable support from my colleagues and professors throughout this journey.
Thus, I’m excited to announce my first publication in The Journal of Physiology, drawn from my master’s thesis: "Mitochondrial efficiency in resting skeletal muscle in vivo: a novel noninvasive approach using multinuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy in humans."
In this work, we developed a novel, noninvasive approach using multinuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy (31P/1H-MRS) to measure how efficiently mitochondria produce energy (P/O ratio) in resting skeletal muscle. By combining phosphorus and proton MRS, this technique captures both oxidative ATP synthesis rate and Mb-derived VO₂ in a larger muscle sample than previously possible, potentially transforming our understanding of metabolic health and the evaluation of therapies in clinical settings.
I want to extend my heartfelt gratitude to my co-authors: Sean T. Bannon, Alexs A. Matias, Filitsa Siokas, Rajakumar Nagarajan, Yann Le Fur, and Songyoung Park, as well as offer a very special thanks to my advisor, Dr. Gwenael Layec, whose invaluable guidance, patience, and unwavering support have served as a beacon throughout my academic journey, profoundly shaping not only my research but also my personal growth. For that, I will always be grateful. I am also immensely thankful to UMass Amherst Institute for Applied Life Sciences (Human Magnetic Resonance Center) and UMass Amherst School of Public Health & Health Sciences for their invaluable support and resources.
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