Roles
Assistant Professor of Molecular and Cellular Pharmacology
-
Biography
Dr. Defne Bayik is a cancer immunologist focused on uncovering host regulatory pathways as targets for brain tumor immunotherapy. She completed her undergraduate degree in the Bilkent University Department of Molecular Biology and Genetics and received her Ph.D. in 2016 through the National Institutes of Health-Bilkent University Graduate Partnership Program. Her dissertation work under the mentorship of Drs. Dennis M. Klinman and Ihsan Gurse identified differentiation pathways of immature myeloid cells to inflammatory and immunosuppressive macrophages. In 2017, Dr. Bayik joined the laboratory of Dr. Justin D. Lathia at the Cleveland Clinic as a postdoctoral fellow, where she gained experience in neuro-oncology and translational cancer immunotherapy research. She demonstrated that sex differences in the anti-tumor immune response inform targeting of immunosuppressive myeloid cells in high-grade brain tumors. Her postdoc work also defined epigenetically regulated pathways that inform the functional heterogeneity of myeloid cells. She is a recipient of the NIH K99/R00 Pathway to Independence Award and joined the University of Miami/Sylvester Comprehensive Cancer Center as an Assistant Professor in December 2022. -
Education & Training
Education
Post Graduate Training
-
Honors & Awards
No result found
-
Research Interests
We recently demonstrated that dipeptidyl peptidase 4 (DPP-4) is a regulator of immunosuppressive myeloid cell activity in glioblastoma. We now seek to identify the mechanism by which DPP-4 regulates the pathological function of myeloid cells in cancer to identify potential therapeutic targets.
Males are more likely to get diagnosed with brain tumors and male patients have worse disease outcomes. We showed that sex differences in myeloid-derived suppressor cell subsets contribute to glioblastoma outcome and comprise a therapeutic opportunity. We seek to uncover sex-specific immune mechanisms driving brain tumors in females versus males to develop personalized immunotherapies.
We observed that myeloid-derived suppressor cell subsets have distinct epigenetic profiles, which are further impacted by host sex. We seek to interrogate epigenetically-regulated pathways determining myeloid cell response in cancer, and host and tumor-derived factors regulating their behavior. -
Publications
Disclaimer: The information presented in this section has been consolidated using AI and machine learning technologies. While every effort has been made to ensure accuracy, errors may occur. If you identify any inaccuracies, please use this link to inform our data team. Your feedback is greatly appreciated and helps us improve the quality of our content.
-
Professional Activities
No result found