Assoc. Prof. Tamer Önder won Sabri Ülker Science Award 2019!

Sabri Ülker Foundation organizes Sabri Ülker Science Award with the mission of encouraging young scientists and supporting the presentation of researches to public benefit. This year’s Sabri Ülker Science Award was presented at a ceremony in Istanbul on the evening of May 2.

Sabri Ülker Science Award 2019 winner is Assoc. Prof. Tamer Önder from Koç University, School of Medicine.

The award was presented to Mr. Önder by Mehdi Eker, the Minister of T.R Food, Agriculture and Livestock during 2005-2015 period and AK Party Deputy of Diyarbakir, Prof. Gökhan Hotamışlıgil, the Jury President of Sabri Ülker Science Award and the Director of Sabri Ülker Metabolic Research Center, and Talat İçöz, the President of Sabri Ülker Foundation.

Sabri Ülker Science Award, which our Foundation implemented with the goal to encourage the young scientists in the academic, industrial and research institutes and to support in presenting their researches to the benefit of public, to Assoc. Prof. Tamer Önder who is a lecturer in Koç University, School of Medicine, - Department of Basic Medical Sciences, Medical Biology and Genetics.

Assoc. Prof. Önder’s researches were cited over 5000 times and he has patent and a lot of articles about cancer and stem cell published in prestigious scientific journals such as PNAS, Cell and Nature. Also, he received the Outstanding Young Scientist Award from Turkish Academy of Sciences (GEBIP-TUBA), and Aziz Sancar Incentive Award from Turkish Health Institutions Presidency (TUSEB).

Assoc. Prof. Tamer Önder conducts his laboratory studies on the generation technologies of personalized stem cells. Thus, significant progresses in the UPK (pluripotent stem) cells, which have the same genetical codes with the patients, are completely compatible with the immune system and can be used for the treatment. Assoc. Prof. Önder not only clarifies molecular mechanisms in the generation of these personalized stem cells through his researches, but also develops certain methods to generate these cells in the most efficient and reliable way. With his award-winning studies on stem cells, it is aimed to generate UPK cells from individuals with genetic or chronic metabolic diseases and to develop new treatment methods.

Assoc. Prof. Tamer Önder completed his bachelor's degree at the department of molecular biology and genetics in Cornell University by winning Highest Honor (Summa Cum Laude) Award. He received his doctorate degree from the Whitehead Institute and Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) on cancer metastasis and cancerous stem cells under the supervision of Robert Weinberg. Assoc. Prof. Önder started to work in Medical School of Koç University, - Department of Basic Medical Sciences, Medical Biology and Genetics in June 2012, has been working as an associate professor since 2018.

Assoc. Prof. Önder’s researches are supported by EU 7th Framework Marie Curie CIG Program, EMBO Installation Grant and United Kingdom Royal Society Newton Fund and TUBITAK, still conducts his studies on the examination of molecular mechanisms in generation of personalized stem cells at the Research Center for Translational Medicine, Koç University (KUTTAM).