Decoding Molecular Control
of Gene Expression
The Ozturk Research Group investigates the fundamental mechanisms of post-transcriptional regulation, focusing on how key protein complexes control mRNA translation, stability, and decay in development and disease.
Dr. Duygu Kuzuoglu Ozturk
Principal Investigator & Molecular Biologist
Dr. Ozturk leads the group with expertise in molecular and cell biology, focusing on the mechanisms that control mRNA fate and protein synthesis. Her work identifies crucial regulatory steps and protein complexes that, when dysregulated, contribute to diseases like cancer and neurological disorders.
"We are committed to fostering an inclusive and collaborative research environment at Sabancı University."
Awards & Recognition
Acknowledging excellence in molecular biology research.
TÜBA - GEBİP Award
2025Outstanding Young Scientist
Awarded by the Turkish Academy of Sciences (TÜBA) in the Health Sciences category for groundbreaking research in "Cancer Biology & RNA Biology".
Read AnnouncementFor Women in Science Award
2025L'Oréal Turkey - UNESCO
Honored as one of four distinguished female scientists in 2025 for the project regarding Prostate Cancer susceptibility and mRNA regulation.
Read AnnouncementCore Research Areas
Investigating regulatory networks governing mRNA expression and stability.
RNA Decay & CCR4-NOT
Mechanistically dissecting the CCR4-NOT complex, a key regulator of mRNA deadenylation. We study its structure, assembly, and role in miRNA-mediated target silencing.
Translational Control in Cancer
Investigating how oncogenes like N-myc hijack the translational machinery (e.g., eIF4F complex, mTOR) to promote cancer cell fitness and identifying inhibitors.
Molecular Disease Mechanisms
Exploring the role of metabolic enzymes (like PHGDH) and protein-protein interactions in disease etiology, including viral infections and tissue regeneration.
Recent Publications
Selected works showcasing our impact.
Evolutionarily divergent mTOR remodels translatome for tissue regeneration.
Zhulyn, O., Rosenblatt, H. D., ... Kuzuoglu-Öztürk, D., ... Zhang, Z.
N-myc–Mediated Translation Control Is a Therapeutic Vulnerability in Medulloblastoma.
Kuzuoglu-Ozturk, D., Aksoy, O., Schmidt, C., ... Phelps, R. R. L.
A DDX6-CNOT1 complex and W-binding pockets in CNOT9 reveal direct links between miRNA target recognition and silencing.
Chen, Y., Boland, A., Kuzuoğlu-Öztürk, D., ... Izaurralde, E.
Join Our Mission
We are always looking for passionate students, post-docs, and collaborators interested in molecular biology, RNA regulation, and disease mechanisms.
FENS Building, Room 1003, Sabancı University
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Discuss collaboration or research questions directly with Dr. Kuzuoglu Ozturk.
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