Panel Moderator
Dr. Onur Emre Onat, Assistant Professor and principal investigator at Bezmialem University’s Institute of Life Sciences and Biotechnology, earned his Ph.D. from Bilkent University, identifying genes causing cerebellar hypoplasia (CAMRQ), a rare neurodevelopmental disorder with quadrupedal locomotion. Post-Ph.D., he joined a Rockefeller-Bilkent University collaboration, co-led by Dr. Jeffrey Friedman (Lasker Awardee, leptin discoverer) and Dr. Tayfun Özçelik (TÜBİTAK Science Awardee), studying hunger/satiety mechanisms. He also established a DNA bank and genome database, expanding into complex inherited diseases. His work emphasizes the development of advanced bioinformatics pipelines for analyzing next-generation sequencing (NGS) data to pinpoint disease-causing mutations and genes. Dr. Onat’s research portfolio covers a diverse array of phenotypes, including metabolic disorders (obesity, extreme leanness, polycystic ovary syndrome), neurodegenerative diseases (essential tremor, Parkinson’s disease), and behavioral traits linked to circadian rhythm regulation (sleep disorders, ADHD). A leading figure in omics-driven human genetics, he has an impressive publication record in prestigious journals such as Cell, Nature Genetics, Journal of Clinical Investigation, Genome Research, and PNAS. His contributions continue to advance the understanding of genetic mechanisms underlying complex human diseases.