INVITED SPEAKERS

Brad Day, PhD
Associate Vice Chancellor for Research Innovation Initiatives,
University of Tennessee, Knoxville
Inaugural Keynote Lecturer

Dr. Brad Day is the Associate Vice Chancellor for Research Innovation Initiatives at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville. He joined the university in November 2021, is responsible for the development of new, cross- disciplinary, research activities which capture the strengths, and opportunities of faculty at UT. Importantly, in this role, he is focusing on convergence research activities to eliminate traditionally, siloed disciplinary-focused research and innovation. A demonstrated history of working in the higher education industry. Skilled in Cell Biology, Research, Molecular Genetics, Higher Education, and University Teaching.

Prior to UT, Day was a Foundation Professor at Michigan State University where his research focused on the molecular-genetic regulation of plant immune signaling. His research was funded by a breadth of national and international funding agencies, including NSF, USDA, NIH, Asian Development Bank, the Gates Foundation. During his time at MSU, he spent 1 year as a Program Director at the National Science Foundation. Prior to MSU, he was a NIH-funded postdoctoral scholar at UC-Berkeley, and an NSF- postdoc at the National Institute of Agroenvironmental Resources in Tsukuba, Japan.

Anahita Khojandi, Dr. (PhD)
Professor, Department of Industrial and Systems Engineering
Heath Endowed Faculty Fellow, Business & Engineering, University of Tennessee, Knoxville
2nd Day - Inaugural Keynote Lecturer

Anahita Khojandi is a Professor in the Department of Industrial and Systems Engineering and the Heath Endowed Faculty Fellow in Business & Engineering at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville. She earned her Ph.D. in Industrial Engineering from the University of Pittsburgh. Her research focuses on decision-making under uncertainty and partial information, machine learning, and reinforcement learning, with applications to complex systems, particularly in healthcare and genomics.

Dr. Khojandi's research has been supported by several U.S. federal agencies, including the National Science Foundation, National Institutes of Health, Department of Energy, and Department of Defense. She has co-authored nearly 120 peer-reviewed articles, published in prestigious journals and conferences. Her research has received multiple awards, including the Best Application Paper in IISE Transactions (2025), First Place in the Harvey J. Greenberg Research Award from INFORMS Computing Society (2022), and the Best Paper Award of the Year from OMEGA – The International Journal of Management Science (in both 2021 and 2020).

She currently serves as Vice President of Membership and Professional Recognition at INFORMS, the largest professional association for the decision and data sciences. In 2025, she was accepted into the Executive Leadership in Academic Technology, Engineering and Science (ELATES) program at Drexel University. In 2024, she was selected by the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) for a Science & Technology Policy Fellowship (STPF) in the Rapid Response Cohort in AI, with a placement at the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs. In 2023, she was named an NIH AIM-AHEAD Leadership Fellow.

Nermin Kahraman
Delegation of the European Union to Türkiye
Policy Officer for Agriculture, Food Safety and Consumer Protection
Davetli Konuşmacı 

Following her graduation from Hacettepe University, Department of Food Engineering in 1995, she completed her master's degree in the same department. Having worked as a research assistant for 4.5 years in the same department during her MSc. and PhD studies, she moved to the Ministry of Health, Directorate General of Primary Health Services in 2000 and worked for 3 years as a Food Engineer at the Department of Laboratories. During this period, she contributed to Türkiye's EU Harmonization Program on Chapter 12 "Food Safety, Veterinary and Phytosanitary" and took part in the EU alignment studies, project preparation and implementation of the Ministry of Health within the scope of the aforementioned Acquis Chapter. Since September 2003, she has been working as “Policy Officer for Agriculture, Food Safety and Consumer Protection” at the Delegation of the European Union to Turkey and is involved in the follow-up of Türkiye’s alignment with "Agriculture and Rural Development", "Food Safety, Veterinary and Plant Health" and "Consumer Protection" acquis chapters, as well as programming and monitoring of EU financial assistance in these areas.

Michael Francom
Regional Agricultural Counselor
U.S. Embassy, Ankara, Turkiye
Invited Speaker

Michael Francom is the Regional Agricultural Counselor at the U.S. Embassy in Ankara. In addition to Turkiye, he is responsible for Armenia, Azerbaijan, Georgia, and Central Asia. His prior overseas assignments include China, Ethiopia, and back-to-back postings in South Korea. Michael has also worked in various positions at the U.S. Department of Agriculture in Washington, D.C.

Michael earned a Bachelor of Arts in Economics from the University of Utah and Master of Arts in International Affairs from George Washington University.

Michael is married with six children and two grandchildren, and is a native of Utah.

Glen Balch, MD
Director of the Cancer Institute Professor of Surgery
University of Tennessee Medical Center at Knoxville
Invited Speaker

Dr. Balch is a highly respected clinician, academic leader and innovator, distinguished in surgical oncology, colorectal surgery, and robotic surgery. His medical journey began at the University of Texas at Houston, followed by a general surgery internship and residency at Vanderbilt University Medical Center. He then completed advanced training in Surgical Oncology and Colorectal Surgery at Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center in New York. Dr. Balch earned a Physician Executive MBA from the Haslam College of Business at the University of Tennessee in 2013, equipping him with the expertise required for advanced leadership roles in health care.

Emre Huri, MD
Professor, Dept. of Urology, Hacettepe University
SurgSimHealth CEO, SurgSim3DLab Director
Visiting Professor, Dep of Urology, St. Cyril and Methodius University
Invited Speaker

Prof. Dr. Emre Huri was appointed as an Associate Professor at Hacettepe University Faculty of Medicine, Department of Urology in 2013 and promoted to Professor in 2021, where he currently continues his academic career. He completed his PhD in Anatomy, earning the MD-PhD title, and conducted academic studies at leading institutions such as MD Anderson Cancer Center (USA) and the University of Leuven (Belgium).
His areas of expertise include robotic surgery, functional urology, neurourology, and 3D medical printing technologies. He has served as the coordinator of the EU-funded MedTRain3DModsim and EuroSOMT projects and currently holds the position of Director at both the ICS Institute School of Modern Technology and the Lokman Hekim University SİNERG Center.
He has carried out pioneering research in urological surgery education through 3D medical printing, virtual, and augmented reality applications. He has edited two international books in this field, holds two patents, and has designed 23 educational surgical models. He is recognized as the first academician in Türkiye to initiate pre-surgical organ modeling and 3D surgical planning in urology.

Denita Hadziabdic-Guerry, Dr. (PhD)
Associate Professor, Department of Entomology and Plant Pathology
Fulbright Ambassador
Invited Speaker

Dr. Denita Hadziabdic-Guerry is a researcher specializing in the population genetics of fungal plant pathogens, population biology, forest health, forest pathology, and the diversity and conservation of native plants. Her research is driven by a strong commitment to addressing global challenges at the intersection of biodiversity and food security. A central focus of her work is the preservation of indigenous and nutritionally important plants adapted to climate change, with the goal of contributing to hunger eradication efforts across the African continent. By safeguarding plant biodiversity, Dr. Hadziabdic-Guerry seeks to strengthen regional food security, promote scientific literacy, and inspire and mentor the next generation of science ambassadors in sub-Saharan Africa.

M. Yekta Göksungur, PhD
Professor, Food Engineering Department, Ege University
Invited Speaker

Prof. Dr. M. Yekta Göksungur received his B.Sc., M.Sc., and Ph.D. degrees from the Department of Food Engineering, Faculty of Engineering, Ege University. He has served in the same department as a Research Assistant, Assistant Professor, and Associate Professor, and has been continuing his academic career as a Professor since 2011. Between 2002 and 2003, Prof. Dr. Göksungur worked as a visiting researcher at Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Greece, where he conducted studies on β-carotene production from Blakeslea trispora fungus. His main research interests include food biotechnology, enzyme technology, bioprocesses and bioprocess optimization, microbial polysaccharides, and the production of bioproducts from waste materials. Prof. Dr. Göksungur has supervised more than 20 graduate theses and has published 40 articles in internationally indexed journals.

Hakan Yardımcı, PhD
Professor, Dept. of Preclinical Sciences, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Ankara University
Invited Speaker

Prof. Dr. Hakan Yardımcı graduated from Ankara University Faculty of Veterinary Medicine in 1984. He completed his phD in Veterinary Microbiology in 1989 at the same faculty. He received the title of Associate Professor in 1995 and Professor in 2001 at the same faculty. He is currently the Head of the Department of Preclinical Sciences at Ankara University, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Head of the Microbiology Department, and a faculty member.
He continues to serve as a member and vice president of the Turkish Zoonotic Diseases National Committee (2021- ) and Food Illumination Platform Association (2020- ). In addition, to date, he has been the Chairman of the Draft Biosafety Law Commission (2003-2005), the Chairman of the Biosafety Board (2010-2016), the Vice Chairman of the Turkish Zoonosis National Committee (2006-2009), and the Chairman of the Animal Experiments Ethics Committee of Ankara University (2007-2010). , TÜBİTAK (The Scientific and Technological Research Council of Türkiye), ULAKBİM (Turkish Academic Network and Information Centre) Life Sciences Database Committee Chairman (2006-2014), Ankara University Nuclear Sciences Institute Board Member (2013-2019) and National Nutrition Council Poultry-Chicken Science Commission President (2019).

Tunca Doğan, PhD
Professor, Dept. of Computer Science and Artificial Intelligence Engineering, Hacettepe University
Invited Speaker

Dr Tunca Doğan is a faculty member at the Department of Computer Science and Artificial Intelligence Engineering at Hacettepe University, Turkey, and the principal investigator of the Hacettepe Biological Data Science Laboratory. Previously, he was a postdoctoral researcher at the UniProt protein database team at the UK's European Bioinformatics Institute (EMBL-EBI) and Cambridge University, where he worked on computational protein science and drug discovery. Dr Doğan holds a BSc in Engineering and a PhD in Bioinformatics. His group's work focuses on developing machine/deep learning-based methods for (i) the integration and representation of heterogeneous biomedical data, (ii) the prediction of the functional properties of genes/proteins, and (iii) discovering/designing new drug candidates, frequently utilising representation learning and generative artificial intelligence.

Mustafa Sert, PhD
Associate Professor, Dept. of Artificial Intelligence Engineering, Başkent University
Vice Dean, Başkent University
Invited Speaker

Dr. Mustafa Sert received his MSc and Ph.D. degrees in Computer Science from Gazi University and completed postdoctoral research in the Department of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science at the University of California, Irvine (USA). With over 25 years of experience in computer science and engineering, he currently serves as an Associate Professor in the Department of Artificial Intelligence Engineering and as Vice Dean of the Faculty of Engineering at Başkent University.
His research and teaching focus on broader fields of artificial intelligence, machine learning, speech and language-based audio analysis, semantic multimedia, and multimodal learning, with applications in healthcare, affective computing, and social systems. He has collaborated with the Multimedia Database Laboratory in the Department of Computer Engineering at Middle East Technical University and was a Visiting Professor at UCI during 2024–2025.
Dr. Sert is a Senior Member of IEEE, serving on technical committees including TCSEM, TCMC, TCCC, and CTSoc’s AVS, CCN, and MDA. He has held leadership roles in IEEE and ACM conferences and received Best Paper, Best Reviewer, and Outstanding Area Chair Awards. He is also co-editor of Semantic Computing and AI: Transforming Knowledge into Intelligence (World Scientific, 2025).

Mustafa Çalık
R&D Director of Sunar Yatırım
Invited Speaker 

He graduated from the Department of Chemistry at Middle East Technical University (METU). He has a good command of English and speaks contemporary-level German. Throughout his career, he has held positions at leading companies in the sector, including Sunar Mısır, Cargill, Agthia, and Skretting Mısır, gaining experience in various roles at national and international companies in the food and feed industries. He has over 15 years of experience in system implementation, stakeholder management, development and improvement projects, and industrial transformation.
Currently, he manages the strategic roadmap of the Sunar Corn R&D Center within Sunar Yatırım and conducts studies on the development of sustainable products from plant-based sources and the industrial integration of new production technologies.

Bernard Kim
Director of Global Sales and Marketing, Norgen Biotek
Invited Speaker
(Participating by the invitation of Letgen Biotechnology.)

With 25 years of experience in academia, government laboratories, and the biotechnology sector across Germany, the United States, and Canada, Bernard Kim has been dedicated to advancing transformative diagnostic solutions that shape global healthcare. As Senior Vice President and General Manager at Seegene and Norgen Biotek, he led the development of a comprehensive molecular diagnostic platform, redefining clinical sample processing—from collection and nucleic acid purification to full automation.

Holding a Ph.D. in Molecular Plant Pathology, Bernard Kim completed postdoctoral research focused on rapid diagnostics, biological control, and plant-pathogen interactions to protect agricultural health. This foundation inspired a transition toward public health, where he managed research and development and manufacturing teams, successfully launching over 50 products in molecular diagnostics, RNA/DNA purification, and sample collection at Norgen Biotek.

He is attending the congress as an esteemed guest of Letgen, the Main Sponsor of the congress and the Turkish distributor for Norgen Biotek.

Andreas Biewald
GEA Chemical &Pharma Business Line Product Manager
Invited Speaker

Andreas Biewald is an experienced engineer with a strong background in biotechnology. After completing his education in biotechnology engineering, he began his career at GEA Westfalia Separator, where he has been working for over 25 years. During this time, he has specialized in biotechnology-related sales and product management, contributing to the company’s global growth. 
His main areas of expertise include starter cultures, probiotics, cell culture, and perfusion technologies. With his extensive experience at GEA, he has played a leading role in the development and implementation of biotechnology solutions.

Ashok Vaseashta, Dr. (PhD)
CTO/Researcher
International Clean Water Institute, Manassas, USA
Invited Speaker

Ashok Vaseashta is Executive Director for strategic research with the International Clean Water Institute in Virginia, USA. He served as a Professor at Virginia Tech and Marshall University, Director of Research at the Institute for Advanced Sciences Convergence and International Clean Water Institute for NUARI, Vice-Provost (Rector) for Research in South Carolina, and Executive Director and Chair of the Institutional Review Board in New Jersey. He received a Ph.D. from the Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, Blacksburg, VA, in 1990, followed by Kobe post-doctoral fellowship. He was awarded an Honoris Causa doctorate from Riga Technical University and an Honorary full membership of the Academy of Sciences of Moldova. He served the U.S. Department of State in two rotations as a strategic S&T advisor. Inspired by nature and guided by societal necessities, he strives for technological innovations to address the global challenges of the 21^st century using the nexus of advanced technological platforms. He specializes in dual-use research to identify opportunities and challenges, using research tools such as foresight, heuristics, artificial intelligence, and complexity science. His research interests include chem.-bio sensors, nanotechnology, environmental/ecotoxicology science, critical infrastructure protection, and the environmental impact of micro/nano plastics - all using the nexus of advanced technological solution platforms. He is the author/editor of 25 books and has published over 350 articles in scientific journals, book chapters, and conferences. He serves on the editorial boards of several international journals and is an active member of various professional organizations.

Aslı Sırmacı, PhD
Regional Support Scientist at Promega GmbH
Invited Speaker

Dr. Aslı Sırmacı holds a PhD in Molecular Genetics and has over a decade of experience in molecular and cellular biology. In her current role as a Regional Support Scientist at Promega GmbH, she operates at the intersection of science and application, providing scientific and technical support to researchers and pharmaceutical partners in the fields of drug discovery and development. Her expertise focuses on transforming complex biological questions into practical, assay-based solutions. She specializes in optimizing molecular workflows, resolving experimental challenges, and implementing innovative technologies to enhance research and development efficiency.
Dr. Sırmacı collaborates closely with distributors and end users to ensure scientific consistency, technical excellence, and sustainable project outcomes. She is particularly skilled in bridging commercial and scientific priorities by aligning research objectives with appropriate tools and technologies, thereby facilitating data-driven decision-making throughout the discovery process. Her professional approach is collaborative, solution-oriented, and deeply rooted in scientific integrity. With a continuous curiosity and adaptability, she remains dedicated to advancing innovation within the life sciences.

Kamil Duman, PhD
Agricultural Engineer, Plant Protection Central Research Institute Directorate, Ankara
Invited Speaker

Dr. Kamil Duman is a senior plant bacteriologist at the Plant Protection Central Research Institute (PPCRI), Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry, Türkiye. He received his M.Sc. from Ege University with research on the molecular detection of Peach latent mosaic viroid and Hop stunt viroid, and his Ph.D. from Mustafa Kemal University, focusing on the biological control of Pseudomonas syringae pv. phaseolicola in beans. His research primarily centers on host–pathogen interactions, bacterial pathogenicity, biological control strategies, and endophytic bacteria associated with economically important crops. Dr. Duman has coordinated and contributed to several national and international (TAGEM, Euphresco) projects on Ralstonia solanacearum, Xylella fastidiosa, Candidatus Liberibacter solanacearum, and other quarantine pathogens. He has published in peer-reviewed journals including Nature Scientific Reports and Phytopathology, and serves as an editorial board member of the Plant Protection Bulletin and as a national expert on the EPPO Panel on Diagnostic Bacteriology.

Emre Aksoy, PhD
Assist. Prof., Dept. of Biological Sciences, Middle East Technical University
Young Researchers Panelist

Dr. Emre Aksoy received his Ph.D. from Texas A&M University in 2014 and worked as a faculty member at the Department of Agricultural Genetic Engineering, Niğde Ömer Halisdemir University, between 2015 and 2021. Since 2021, he has been continuing his research at the Department of Biological Sciences, Middle East Technical University (METU).
His research focuses on the uptake, translocation, and signaling of trace elements in plants, as well as the biofortification of seeds with essential minerals. In addition, he works on developing stress-tolerant crop plants through molecular breeding and genetic engineering approaches.

Evrim Güneş Altuntaş, PhD
Ankara University Biotechnology Institute
Young Researchers Panelist

Associate Professor Evrim Güneş Altuntaş graduated from the Department of Food Engineering at Ankara University (Ankara, Türkiye) and earned her Ph.D. in Food Microbiology from the same department in 2011. From the beginning of her doctoral studies until their completion, she served at the Department of Food Engineering, after which she joined the Biotechnology Institute at Ankara University, where she currently holds the position of Associate Professor.
During and following her doctoral training, she carried out scientific research at Nottingham Trent University in the United Kingdom and at the USDA Agricultural Research Service in the United States. Her research interests center on food microbiology and biotechnology, with a particular emphasis on food safety and security. She focuses on enhancing food quality, developing biocontrol strategies, and designing rapid diagnostic methods. Her work encompasses studies on lactic acid bacteria, probiotics, postbiotics, bacteriocins, biofilms, biosensors, and antimicrobial susceptibility. She has extensive experience in the isolation, identification, and characterization of specific bacteria from both food and human sources. To date, she has contributed to approximately 49 peer-reviewed articles and book chapters, 59 conference presentations, and 21 research projects.

Özge Kahraman Ilıkkan, PhD
Associate Professor, Head of Department, Food Processing, Kahramankazan Vocational School, Başkent University
Young Researchers Panelist

Dr. Özge Kahraman Ilıkkan completed her undergraduate studies in Biology at Ege University, Faculty of Science, and obtained her M.Sc. degree in Basic and Industrial Microbiology from the same institution. She was awarded a scholarship to pursue her Ph.D. at the Department of Biomolecular Sciences, Marche Polytechnic University (Italy), and conducted part of her doctoral research at Michigan State University (USA), Department of Food Science and Human Nutrition, for six months. After completing her doctorate, she worked in various positions at Trakya University's Central Research and Development Center as a specialist, vice director, and quality management representative. She is currently the Head of the Department of Food Processing at Başkent University, Kahramankazan Vocational School, where she continues her academic and research activities in the Food Quality Control and Analysis Program, focusing on microbiology and biotechnology.

Pelin Kılıç, Pharm. PhD
Department of Stem Cells and Regenerative Medicine
Ankara University Stem Cell Institute
Young Researchers Panelist

Born in Ankara in 1978, she completed her undergraduate education in pharmacy, and received her master's degree in pharmacology at Gazi University and her PhD in forensic toxicology at Ankara University. In 2009, he conducted gene technology research as a visiting researcher at INSERM in France. Between 2004 and 2016, he served as a public servant at the Turkish Medicines and Medical Devices Agency (TİTCK) to help establish the national regulatory framework for advanced therapy medicinal products. From 2017 to 2022, she served as the Quality Coordinator of the Ankara University Stem Cell Institute. She continues her work as an academician, researcher, and faculty member in stem cells and regenerative medicine at the same Institute. She is also the founder of HücreCELL®️ Biotechnology Development and Commerce, Inc. and serves as a mentor to future scientists at the Ankara University Stem Cell Institute. Various R&D studies are ongoing, including investigations of molecular mechanisms underlying diabetes and related cardiovascular complications through induced pluripotent stem cell (iPSC)-based disease models, the development of cancer pre-screening kits with extracellular vesicle-defined biosensor systems, and process engineering for upstream and downstream production of cellular therapies.