Open to opportunities

ZEYNEP ATILGAN

@zeynepatilgan

Message

I build cancer transcriptomics frameworks for clinically actionable precision medicine research.

Turkey

Message

What I'm looking for

I'm seeking interdisciplinary R&D opportunities at the interface of bioinformatics, genomics, and precision medicine, where I can turn complex biological questions into clinically meaningful computational and translational research.

I'm developing variance-aware cancer transcriptomics methods at Marmara University to resolve circulating tumor cell heterogeneity, including transcriptional states linked to immune evasion and proliferative reactivation. My work distinguishes neoantigen availability from antigen-processing suppression and uses NetMHCpan to model HLA class I ligandability.

I'm also leading a remote pancreatic cancer drug-sensitivity project integrating TCGA, COSMIC, GDSC, and DepMap data to identify candidate markers. Across computational and clinical work, I've contributed to CTC isolation, organoid culture, drug-response assays, and translational bioinformatics research focused on actionable diagnostics.

Experience

Work history, roles, and key accomplishments

Computational Molecular Biologist

Marmara University

Jan 2024 - Jun 2026 (2 years 5 months)

Developed a variance-aware transcriptomic framework to resolve heterogeneity in small CTC cohorts, identifying distinct transcriptional states associated with immune evasion and proliferative reactivation. Validated findings across cancer types and modeled HLA class I ligandability.

R Python GROMACS NetMHCpan GSEA PCA Mahalanobis Distance GEO DepMap

Education

Degrees, certifications, and relevant coursework

Marmara University

Master of Science, Bioengineering

2024 - 2026

Grade: 3.55 / 4.00

Pursuing a Master of Science in Bioengineering with a focus on cancer transcriptomics and computational biology. Thesis on identifying neoantigens specific to circulating tumor cells in non-small cell lung cancer.

Gebze Technical University

Bachelor of Science, Molecular Biology and Genetics

2019 - 2023

Completed a Bachelor of Science in Molecular Biology and Genetics with a thesis on the effects of DEK protein overexpression on migration capacity of acute leukemia-related bone marrow stromal cells.