Cem Demirkiran, MD

Cem Demirkiran, MD, is a Postdoctoral Associate in Gynecologic Oncology Research at Yale School of Medicine, where he conducts translational and preclinical research focused on the development of novel therapeutic strategies for gynecologic malignancies. His research interests include ovarian, uterine, and cervical cancers, with particular emphasis on low-grade serous ovarian cancer, uterine carcinosarcoma, targeted therapy, antibody-drug conjugates, KRAS/MAPK pathway biology, FAK signaling, endocrine resistance, and mechanisms of treatment response and resistance. His work integrates molecular and cellular biology with clinically relevant preclinical models, including patient derived xenografts, to evaluate emerging therapies and rational drug combinations.

Dr. Demirkiran has extensive experience in the design and execution of in vivo therapeutic studies, including the development and maintenance of patient-derived tumor models, treatment administration, tumor monitoring, survival analyses, and translational correlative studies. His laboratory experience also includes ex vivo drug-response assays, Western blotting, flow cytometry, immunohistochemistry, immunofluorescence, PCR and qPCR, transcriptomic analyses, and molecular characterization of treatment-response pathways. Through these approaches, he has contributed to studies investigating targeted inhibition of the RAF/MEK/ERK and FAK pathways, hormone receptor signaling, and the activity of antibody-drug conjugates in gynecologic cancers.

His research has involved multidisciplinary collaborations across academic and industry supported programs evaluating emerging anticancer agents, including targeted therapies and antibody-drug conjugates. These projects have examined therapeutic strategies involving agents such as avutometinib, defactinib, trastuzumab deruxtecan, datopotamab deruxtecan, and tisotumab vedotin, with the goal of identifying biologically informed treatment approaches for patients with difficult to treat gynecologic tumors. In addition to his laboratory work, Dr. Demirkiran has contributed to clinical research projects in obstetrics and gynecology, including randomized and retrospective studies addressing clinically relevant surgical and postoperative outcomes.

Dr. Demirkiran received his medical degree from Acibadem University School of Medicine in Istanbul, Türkiye. Since beginning his research career in the United States, he has contributed to more than 60 scientific publications across oncology, translational science, and clinical medicine, as well as scientific presentations at national meetings. His academic activities also include peer review, collaborative research, and mentorship within multidisciplinary research teams. His work has been recognized through young investigator and travel awards and reflects a continued commitment to connecting laboratory discoveries with clinically meaningful questions in women's health and cancer care.

As part of his continued academic and professional development in the United States, Dr. Demirkiran also obtained U.S. permanent residency through the EB-1 employment based category. He continues to pursue a physician-scientist career centered on translational investigation, clinical medicine, and the development of innovative therapeutic approaches for women with gynecologic disease.