Hello! I am an Assistant Professor of Geobiology and Geochemistry, and a William H. Hurt Scholar at Caltech, where I lead the Ozturk Lab. My research focuses on the origins of life, a fascinating field that seeks to understand how life arose from non-living matter, and the physics of living systems.
I received my undergraduate degree in Physics from Bilkent University in Ankara, Turkiye. For my bachelor's thesis, I worked with Prof. Mehmet Özgür Oktel on dipolar quantum droplets and developed a finite temperature theory describing their beyond mean-field properties.
In 2018, I began my Ph.D. studies at Harvard University's Department of Physics, under the supervision of Prof. Markus Greiner. Initially, my research involved the building of an erbium quantum gas microscope. Within the Erbium Lab, I constructed an ultra-low noise optical lattice to explore the extended Hubbard physics of dipolar quantum gases, under a high-resolution objective. After receiving my Master of Arts degree in 2020, I switched my research interests towards the origins of life and joined Sasselov Group in 2021. There, I earned my PhD degree in 2024 under the supervision of Prof. Dimitar Sasselov. My PhD thesis research on the origins of biological homochirality was awarded the Gertrude and Maurice Goldhaber Prize by the Harvard Physics department.
I received my undergraduate degree in Physics from Bilkent University in Ankara, Turkiye. For my bachelor's thesis, I worked with Prof. Mehmet Özgür Oktel on dipolar quantum droplets and developed a finite temperature theory describing their beyond mean-field properties.
In 2018, I began my Ph.D. studies at Harvard University's Department of Physics, under the supervision of Prof. Markus Greiner. Initially, my research involved the building of an erbium quantum gas microscope. Within the Erbium Lab, I constructed an ultra-low noise optical lattice to explore the extended Hubbard physics of dipolar quantum gases, under a high-resolution objective. After receiving my Master of Arts degree in 2020, I switched my research interests towards the origins of life and joined Sasselov Group in 2021. There, I earned my PhD degree in 2024 under the supervision of Prof. Dimitar Sasselov. My PhD thesis research on the origins of biological homochirality was awarded the Gertrude and Maurice Goldhaber Prize by the Harvard Physics department.
Following my PhD, I held two independent research fellowships in 2024: as a Kavli-Laukien Prize Fellow with the Origins of Life Initiative at Harvard University, and as a stipendiary research fellow and senior member of King’s College, Cambridge.
In 2025, I joined the Caltech Division of Geological and Planetary Sciences as a tenure-track assistant professor of geochemistry and geobiology, with additional appointments in the Divisions of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering (CCE) and Physics, Mathematics, and Astronomy (PMA), in the options of physical biology and physical chemistry.
My group's research is centered on investigating the origins of biomolecular homochirality, as well as studying the physics of living systems and the geochemistry of early Earth. In our homochirality research, we investigate the role of magnetic surfaces as chiral agents due to a phenomenon known as the chiral-induced spin selectivity (CISS) effect. By utilizing magnetic surfaces as templates for the asymmetric crystallization of an RNA precursor, we demonstrated a robust way of achieving homochirality in RNA under prebiotic conditions.
My group's research is centered on investigating the origins of biomolecular homochirality, as well as studying the physics of living systems and the geochemistry of early Earth. In our homochirality research, we investigate the role of magnetic surfaces as chiral agents due to a phenomenon known as the chiral-induced spin selectivity (CISS) effect. By utilizing magnetic surfaces as templates for the asymmetric crystallization of an RNA precursor, we demonstrated a robust way of achieving homochirality in RNA under prebiotic conditions.
In addition to my research, I have a range of interests and hobbies. I simply enjoy learning and find great pleasure in exploring something new. I have a deep passion for reading, classical music, languages, and visual arts. I also love skiing and martial arts. I am a blue belt in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu and I train at Broadway Jiu-Jitsu in South Boston under Professor John Clarke. Additionaly, I run a YouTube channel dedicated to guiding young students from diverse backgrounds in their academic pursuits. My channel currently has over 80.000 subscribers and 3 million total views.
Education
2018-2024
Harvard University - Cambridge, MA, USA
Ph.D. in Physics, CGPA: 4.00
Thesis: A New Spin on the Origin of Biological Homochirality
Supervisor: Prof. Dimitar D. Sasselov
2014-2018
Bilkent University - Ankara, Turkiye
BSc. in Physics, CGPA: 3.99, valedictorian
Thesis: Numerical Solution of the non-Local Gross-Pitaevskii Equation
Supervisor: Prof. Mehmet Özgür Oktel
Harvard University - Cambridge, MA, USA
Ph.D. in Physics, CGPA: 4.00
Thesis: A New Spin on the Origin of Biological Homochirality
Supervisor: Prof. Dimitar D. Sasselov
2014-2018
Bilkent University - Ankara, Turkiye
BSc. in Physics, CGPA: 3.99, valedictorian
Thesis: Numerical Solution of the non-Local Gross-Pitaevskii Equation
Supervisor: Prof. Mehmet Özgür Oktel