Erdem Karatekin MSc, PhD

Assistant Professor of Cellular and Molecular Physiology

Biographical Info

After obtaining his B.S. degree in chemical engineering from the University of Louisville, KY (where he studied thanks to a swimming scholarship) Dr. Karatekin went on to study soft matter physics and chemistry at Columbia University with N. J. Turro and B. O'Shaughnessy where he obtained his Ph.D. in 1999. He then gradually moved toward studying dynamics of lipid membranes, first during his post-doctoral stay at the Curie Institute (with F. Brochard-Wyart), and later as research faculty at the Laboratoire de Dynamique Membranaire (CNRS FRE 3146), both in Paris, France.

His research interests have included imaging of single exocytosis events in live endocrine cells (hormone release via fusion of hormone-filled vesicles with the plasma membrane) and more recently membrane fusion mediated by SNARE proteins reconstituted into artificial lipid bilayers. He is currently working in the laboratory of Dr. J. E. Rothman, thanks to a long-term leave from his CNRS position in Paris.

International Activity

• Membrane fusion and exocytosis
  Paris, France (2003)
  Research faculty
• Dynamics of lipid membranes
  Paris, France (2000 - 2002)
  Post-doctoral fellow

Education & Training

BS

University of Louisville (1994)

M.Sc.

Columbia University (1996)

Ph.D.

Columbia University (1999)

Ph.D.

Columbia University (1999)

Post-doctoral fellow

Curie Institute, Paris, France, Physical Chemistry (2000 - 2003)

Investigator

Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (France), Lab. Secretion Cellulaire et Moleculaire CNRS UPR1929 (2002 - 2011)

Visiting Research Scientist

Yale University, School of Medicine, Dept. of Cell Biology - Rothman Lab (2008 - 2011)

Honors & Recognition

• Long-term fellowship.
  European Molecular Biology Organization (EMBO) (2002)
• Post-doctoral Fellowship
  Association pour la Recherche sur le Cancer (ARC) (2000)
• Hammett Award, “for excellence in studies and research toward the Ph.D.”
  Columbia University (1994)
• Post-doctoral Fellowship
  Fondation Pour la Recherche Médicale (FRM) (2001)