Research/Areas of Interest
Aging biology, with background in long-lived models and healthspan and lifespan extension
Education
- PhD, Biochemistry, Marmara University, Istanbul, 2015
Biography
Perinur Bozaykut Eker, PhD, is a Scientist II in the Metabolism & Basic Biology of Aging directive at the HNRCA. Her lab investigates the resilience mechanisms that contribute to healthspan and lifespan extension, focusing on models such as the blind mole rat (BMR) and naked mole rat (NMR). These remarkable species are invaluable to aging research due to their exceptional longevity, resistance to age-related phenotypic changes, and superior hypoxia tolerance, offering insights for a better understanding of aging process and developing novel interventions.
Dr. Bozaykut Eker’s previous research at Harvard Medical School involved transcriptome-based signatures of longevity across a wide range of species, including long-lived mammals, and led to the identification of several novel lifespan-extending interventions and deepened the understanding of the lifespan regulation. She was also awarded a National Science Foundation bilateral agreement grant to explore how BMRs utilize nutrient-sensing pathways and energy metabolism to achieve their extraordinary traits.