Assoc. Prof. Dr. Meryem Şenay Şengül Demirak | Molecular Biology | Women Researcher Award

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Assoc. Prof. Dr. Meryem Şenay Şengül Demirak | Molecular Biology | Women Researcher Award

Tokat Gaziosmanpaşa University | Turkey

M. Senay Sengul Demirak, Ph.D., is an Associate Professor of Molecular Biology and Genetics with expertise in insect molecular genetics, chemical ecology, and molecular systematics. She completed a Ph.D. in Biochemistry from Virginia Tech and advanced postdoctoral training in Chemical Ecology at the Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, where she worked on mosquito olfaction, odorant-binding proteins, and vector biology. Her academic career includes faculty roles in molecular biology laboratories, extensive teaching at graduate and undergraduate levels, and coordination responsibilities in international research and exchange programs. She has contributed to multiple research projects supported by national and international funding bodies, including NIH, FORMAS, TUBITAK, and university research coordination units, with a focus on mosquito genomics, barcoding genes, OBP gene characterization, and molecular identification of insects and macrofungi. She has supervised graduate theses in molecular taxonomy and insect genetics and has received recognitions such as scholarships from Virginia Tech, Keystone Symposia, and the Scientific and Technical Research Council of Turkey. Her research aims to advance molecular tools for species identification and genetic analysis that support disease vector management and biodiversity studies. She remains dedicated to developing molecular biology capacity and fostering collaborative research in vector biology and genomics.

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Featured Publications

Şengül Demirak, M. Ş., & Canpolat, E. (2022). Plant-based bioinsecticides for mosquito control: Impact on insecticide resistance and disease transmission. Insects, 13(2), 162.

Sengul, M. S., & Tu, Z. (2010). Identification and characterization of odorant-binding protein 1 gene from the Asian malaria mosquito, Anopheles stephensi. Insect Molecular Biology, 19(1), 49–60.

Sengul, M. S., & Tu, Z. (2010). Expression analysis and knockdown of two antennal odorant-binding protein genes in Aedes aegypti. Journal of Insect Science, 10(1), 171.

Sengul, M. S., & Tu, Z. (2008). Characterization and expression of the odorant-binding protein 7 gene in Anopheles stephensi and comparative analysis among five mosquito species. Insect Molecular Biology, 17(6), 631–645.

Şengül Demirak, M. Ş., Işık, H., & Türkekul, İ. (2022). Molecular and morphological identification of Cortinarius eucaeruleus Rob. Henry (Subgenus Phlegmacium) from Türkiye. Anatolian Journal of Botany, 6(1), 27–33.

Demirak, M. Ş. Ş., & Türkekul, İ. (2021). Cortinarius lilacinovelatus (Agaricales, Cortinariaceae) – A new record for Turkey. Nova Hedwigia, 113(1–2), 217–227.

Sengul Demirak, M. S., Turkekul, I., & Isik, H. (2021). Conocybe romagnesii and Gerronema subclavatum (Basidiomycota: Agaricales) in the Central Black Sea Region of Turkey. Nordic Journal of Botany, 39(12).

Demirak, M. Ş. Ş., Işık, H., & Türkekul, İ. (2020). Morphological and molecular phylogeny of Cortinarius rufo-olivaceus (Pers.) Fr. (Subgenus Phlegmacium sect. Calochroi) collected from Tokat region. Kahramanmaraş Sütçü İmam Üniversitesi Tarım ve Doğa Dergisi, 23(3), 600–605.

Assoc. Prof. Dr. Makoto Inoue | Neuroimmunology | Immunology & Inflammation

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Assoc. Prof. Dr. Makoto Inoue | Neuroimmunology | Immunology & Inflammation

University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign | United States 

Makoto Inoue, Ph.D., is an accomplished neuroimmunologist whose career spans international research and academic leadership across Japan and the United States. He earned his B.S. and M.S. in Pharmacy and Pharmacology before completing his Ph.D. in Neurobiology, establishing a foundation in pain mechanisms and neuropeptide biology. His professional journey includes significant research roles at Nagasaki University, UCLA, Duke University School of Medicine, and the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, where he currently serves as an Associate Professor. His research focuses on neuroimmunology, multiple sclerosis, neuroinflammation, neuropathic pain, early-life trauma effects on immunity, and Cryptococcus-associated immune reconstitution inflammatory syndrome. He has secured numerous competitive grants, contributed extensively to scientific literature, edited journals, and delivered invited talks at leading institutions worldwide. His work has been recognized through multiple prestigious awards, including the Bernard Amos Award, Joy Cappel Young Investigator Award, and the Zoetis Award for Research Excellence. As an active member of global scientific societies and an editorial board member for several journals, he continues to advance understanding of neuroimmune mechanisms. His career highlights his commitment to innovative research, interdisciplinary collaboration, and translating scientific discoveries toward impactful therapies for neurodegenerative and autoimmune diseases.

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Featured Publications

Gerriets, V. A., Kishton, R. J., Nichols, A. G., Macintyre, A. N., Inoue, M., Ilkayeva, O., … Rathmell, J. C. (2015). Metabolic programming and PDHK1 control CD4+ T cell subsets and inflammation. The Journal of Clinical Investigation, 125(1), 194–207.

Inoue, M., Rashid, M. H., Fujita, R., Contos, J. J. A., Chun, J., & Ueda, H. (2004). Initiation of neuropathic pain requires lysophosphatidic acid receptor signaling. Nature Medicine, 10(7), 712–718.

Inoue, M., Williams, K. L., Gunn, M. D., & Shinohara, M. L. (2012). NLRP3 inflammasome induces chemotactic immune cell migration to the CNS in experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 109(26), 10480–10485.

Michalek, R. D., Gerriets, V. A., Nichols, A. G., Inoue, M., Kazmin, D., Chang, C. Y., … Rathmell, J. C. (2011). Estrogen-related receptor-α is a metabolic regulator of effector T-cell activation and differentiation. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 108(45), 18348–18353.

Inoue, M., Williams, K. L., Oliver, T., Vandenabeele, P., Rajan, J. V., Miao, E. A., … Shinohara, M. L. (2012). Interferon-beta therapy against EAE is effective only when development of the disease depends on the NLRP3 inflammasome. Science Signalling, 5(225), ra38.

Inoue, M., & Shinohara, M. L. (2011). Intracellular osteopontin (iOPN) and immunity. Immunologic Research, 49(1), 160–172.

Ueda, H., Yamaguchi, T., Tokuyama, S., Inoue, M., Nishi, M., & Takeshima, H. (1997). Partial loss of tolerance liability to morphine analgesia in mice lacking the nociceptin receptor gene. Neuroscience Letters, 237(2–3), 136–138.