Assoc. Prof. Dr. Tamer Önder, Department of Basic Medical Sciences, Biology and Genetics, School of Medicine, Koç University,
Tamer Önder, received his BA in Molecular Biology and Genetics from Cornell University and his PhD in Biology from Massachusetts Institute of Technology. He is currently an associate professor at Koç University, a position he has held since 2012. He focuses on research into the molecular mechanisms of reprogramming cells. He has designed new models using stem cell technology to investigate rare genetic diseases such as Mediterranean fever. Tamer Önder, won the TUSEB Aziz Sancar Young Researcher (Incentive) Award in 2018
Research Focus
‘Research into disease models for rare metabolic diseases and developing new therapeutic strategies’
Based on the principle of developing cell-based treatment approaches, Tamer Önder continues his research into disease models for rare metabolic diseases and developing new therapeutic strategies for them. This research has established a novel liver organoid method derived from induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSC), which is highly reproducible, fast and efficient, mimicking liver development. It is predicted that the generation of iPSC-based organoids from various genetic metabolic and chronic diseases will significantly accelerate the development of new therapeutic strategies against such diseases.
Key references
- Transgene-Free Disease-Specific iPSC Generation from Fibroblasts and Peripheral Blood Mononuclear Cells. Fidan K, Ebrahimi A, Çağlayan ÖH, Özçimen B, Önder TT. Methods Mol Biol.2016;1353:215-31.
- Generation of integration-free induced pluripotent stem cells from a patient with Familial Mediterranean Fever (FMF). Fidan K, Kavaklıoğlu G, Ebrahimi A, Özlü C, Ay NZ, Ruacan A, Gül A, Önder TT. Stem Cell Res. 2015;15(3):694-6.
