BPS-student Ramazan Kiliç receives Travel Grant for Research Symposium in Baltimore, USA
This summer, one of our BPS-master students, Ramazan Kiliç, will travel to Baltimore to present his research at the annual ARRE Research Symposium, a conference on ASXL-disorders that attracts researchers from all over the world, including the US, Japan, Germany, Ireland and, of course, The Netherlands. To support his journey, the ARRE Foundation—which funds research into various rare congenital disorders—has awarded him a travel grant. Each year, the foundation grants several travel awards to young scientific talents in this specific field.
Ramazan was selected for his research on ASXL1 and Bohring-Opitz Syndrome, a project he began in Micha Drukker’s group within the Cell Systems and Drug Safety division during his Bachelor Research Project (BOO) and has continued through his RP1 project. "When I first learned about Bohring-Opitz Syndrome, I realized how rare and poorly understood this disease is. This inspired me to research the topic further. I want to contribute to a better understanding of the causes, mechanisms, and potential treatments for Bohring-Opitz Syndrome," Ramazan explained.
Investigating the mechanisms of this extremely rare children’s disease has been challenging in the past, but in his project, Ramazan worked on developing both zebrafish and human pluripotent stem cell (hPSC) models for BOS, which can enhance our understanding of the disorder and potentially lead to new treatments for some of its symptoms. "The projects I have worked on have created tools for further research into understanding the role of neural crest development in Bohring-Opitz Syndrome. The disorder shows symptoms in various body parts and systems, which can be traced back to neural crest cells in embryonic development. This is why my research has focused on neural crest cells," he elaborated.
At last year’s edition of the Research Symposium in Boston, Joey Zuijdervelt presented their group’s research, much of which was conducted by Ramazan and his peers during their BOO. This year, Ramazan will join his supervisor in presenting a poster at the symposium in Baltimore, providing him with the opportunity to engage with this supportive international research community. "I am very excited and feel honored to have the opportunity to present my work at a conference in the US. This conference brings together experts in the field,” he shares. “As a first-time attendee and presenter at a scientific conference, I’m looking forward to the unique opportunity to share my work and learn from others.”
Reflecting on his involvement in the research community, Ramazan expresses: "The most rewarding aspect of my work so far is knowing that I contribute to a small community researching ASXL-related diseases. We share the goal of understanding these diseases and ultimately treating the children affected by them."
In addition to the ARRE travel grant, he secured an independent travel grant for young talent, enabling him to undertake this significant trip to the United States.
We are excited to see the impact of Ramazan's work at the symposium and look forward to the future advancements that will emerge from his research contributions!
