Molecular Oncology

Hello, I am Associate Professor Nagehan ERSOY TUNALI. I am the head of the Department of Molecular Oncology at Istanbul Medeniyet University. We have a molecular oncology PhD program within our molecular oncology department. Within the framework of this PhD program, we aim to conduct research to better understand the molecular mechanisms of cancer. In our department, we conduct research that goes beyond basic science research to reflect molecular outputs to the clinic. In order to diagnose cancer at an early stage, we are conducting research on molecular biomarkers that we can detect before symptoms appear. In addition, we use current technologies for efficient, effective and targeted treatment of cancer. For example, we are trying to develop new treatment strategies using nanotechnology. In this sense, we work in collaboration with clinicians and surgeons at our university's affiliated hospital. In this way, very good personalized, medical research and outputs emerge. Therefore, we are able to study the reflection of research in the field of molecular biology and molecular oncology on the clinic in a very comfortable way. Our molecular oncology doctoral program was first introduced in 2018. Since 2018, we have been accepting doctoral students to our program. Our doctoral students complete their courses for the first year. After 1 year, they can begin their thesis directly after they have completed their qualifications. Students from a wide range of fields can apply to our program. For example; students who graduated from molecular biology, molecular oncology, medical biology, medical genetics, biochemistry, pharmacy, bioengineering can apply to our program. Students who graduated from the Faculty of Medicine can also apply to our program with their undergraduate diplomas. During the applications, we primarily consider the diploma grades of the students. In addition to this, there are minimum 70 thresholds as ALES (Academic Personnel and Graduate Education Entrance Examination) score and minimum 70 thresholds as English language score. Students who have met these qualifications can apply to our program. In order to graduate from the program, they must complete a total of 60 ECTS (European Credit Accumulation and Transfer System) courses. Then, they need to complete a total of 240 ECTS credits with the qualifying exam, specialization course and doctoral thesis. After completing these credits and preparing their doctoral thesis, student complete the graduation requirements with a publication in reputable, scientific and high impact factor journals.
All of our faculty members in our molecular oncology PhD program are faculty members who carry out projects at national and international level. All of our professors have worked in laboratories abroad either during or after their doctorate and have taken part in major projects. Therefore, they have great support for our doctoral students in our program in this sense and have great contributions to the projects to be carried out in the future. We have both compulsory and elective courses in our molecular oncology doctoral program. As compulsory courses; there are very basic courses such as the basics of molecular oncology and cancer biology that must be learned worldwide. But in addition to these, students can also take elective courses for the research and test subjects they want to do. The compulsory and elective courses constitute a total course load of 60 ECTS (European Credit Accumulation and Transfer System). We make sure that these courses are at international level and up-to-date. In particular, we integrate courses that follow current developments in the field of cancer into our curriculum over time. When students first apply to the molecular oncology PhD program, I, as the head of the department, first advise them on the courses they will take and the path they will follow. Then, as our students get to know the professors in our program and follow their fields of study, they can choose the professors they will do their thesis with. In this sense, students are completely unique. They are free to choose the professors they want to work with for the thesis topics they want to do. After choosing their thesis advisors, they are in constant and very close relations with their professors and carry out their academic careers together. As the head of the department, I myself advise our doctoral students on the courses they will take and the procedures they will follow in the first semester when they start the molecular oncology doctoral program. After that, as the doctoral students get to know our professors who teach and conduct research in our program and have a good understanding of their research areas, they choose the professors they will do their thesis with. After this stage, academic advisors and students work together to plan experiments and theses. Then, together with the students, they carry out their future academic careers.