Kaan Okay

Bioinformatician | Computational biologist

“I am a PhD candidate specializing in the study of rare neurodevelopmental disorders, including Wiedemann-Steiner Syndrome and Kabuki Syndrome. My research focuses on uncovering shared gene expression patterns and DNA methylation abnormalities across these conditions. This work is conducted in collaboration between the University of Iceland and Johns Hopkins University, combining interdisciplinary expertise to advance our understanding of these complex diseases.”

Education

PhD in Biomedical Sciences

University of Iceland | Reykjavík, Iceland | 2021 - 2025
Thesis: “The bioinformatics approach to systematically uncover the impact of epigenetic machinery knock-out on neurodevelopment.”
Supervisor: Hans Tómas Björnsson
Co-advisor: Kasper D. Hansen

Master’s in Molecular Biology and Genetics

Dokuz Eylül Univesity | İzmir, Türkiye | 2018 - 2020
Thesis: “Comprehensive transcriptome analysis of dizygotic twins and their parents with autism spectrum disorders.”
Supervisor: Yavuz Oktay
Co-advisor: Gökhan Karakülah

Bachelor in Molecular Biology and Genetics

Atatürk Univesity | Erzurum, Türkiye | 2013 - 2017