Biography

Istanbul born Ayla Arslan is a molecular biologist and neuroscientist, with academic and research experience in Bosnia and Herzegovina, Russia, Germany, Turkey and USA.  Following her MS degree in Biotechnology at the Middle East Technical University, Turkey, she was awarded the scholarship of German Research Foundation (DFG) by which she had the opportunity to pursue her doctorate in molecular neuroscience at Heidelberg University, Germany. The focus of her doctoral research was the molecular analysis of the GABA (A) receptors, the major sites for brain inhibition.  

 

By the use of diverse techniques such as genetic engineering, she specified molecular domains of the receptor subunits, likely to be involved in the receptor’s localization. This was particularly interesting since the precise inhibitory events were known to play a role in tuning the oscillatory network activity by synchronizing the spikes of pyramidal neurons. As the neuronal synchronization is critical for various cognitive functions such as sensory integration and attention, it was during her doctorate that Dr. Arslan has developed an interest in the analysis of mental phenomena in different levels of complexity. This and other experiences have led Dr. Arslan to develop research interests, cutting across the borders of molecular neuroscience. Thus, besides to molecular neuroscience, Dr. Arslan has maintained research and academic activities including the conceptual, methodological and social aspects of neuroscience and life sciences.

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Ayla Arslan is dedicated to continuous innovation and progress in the higher education for the issues of diversity, equity and inclusion. She is the founder and CEO of iBioHub -Innovative Biology Hub, an NGO dedicated to promoting better integration of academia, industry, and society for life science driven innovations ( https://ibiohub.org/ ) in developing countries.  Previously, in 2019, she had developed a volunteering program to foster biotechnology entrepreneurship among Bosnian undergraduate biology students, minorities in biology and entrepreneurship. The program included an educational platform presenting bio-entrepreneurship lecture series with a group of scientists, experts, and entrepreneurs to foster an entrepreneurial mindset among the undergraduate life science students in Bosnia and Herzegovina, where youth unemployment is a serious problem.