Berna Sozen, PhD
Assistant Professor of GeneticsDownloadHi-Res Photo
Cards
Appointments
Genetics
Primary
Additional Titles
Assistant Professor, Genetics
Assistant Professor, Reproductive Sciences
Contact Info
Appointments
Genetics
Primary
Additional Titles
Assistant Professor, Genetics
Assistant Professor, Reproductive Sciences
Contact Info
Appointments
Genetics
Primary
Additional Titles
Assistant Professor, Genetics
Assistant Professor, Reproductive Sciences
Contact Info
About
Titles
Assistant Professor of Genetics
Assistant Professor, Genetics; Assistant Professor, Reproductive Sciences
Biography
Berna earned her undergraduate degree in Biology at Akdeniz University, Turkey in 2009. She obtained a MSc in Reproductive Biology in 2013 and a PhD in Developmental Biology in 2018 at Akdeniz University School of Medicine. During her MSc she worked with Prof. Tom P. Fleming at the University of Southampton, UK (2012), and during her PhD she worked with Prof. Magdalena Zernicka-Goetz at the University of Cambridge, UK (2015-2018). She then undertook her post-doctoral research first at Cambridge (2018-2019), and later at California Institute of Technology (Caltech) (2019-2020) with Prof. Magdalena Zernicka-Goetz. In 2020, Berna joined the Yale faculty as an Assistant Professor to establish her independent research group at Yale Department of Genetics.
Appointments
Genetics
Assistant ProfessorPrimaryObstetrics, Gynecology & Reproductive Sciences
Assistant ProfessorSecondary
Other Departments & Organizations
- Genetics
- Janeway Society
- Molecular Cell Biology, Genetics and Development
- Obstetrics, Gynecology & Reproductive Sciences
- Yale Combined Program in the Biological and Biomedical Sciences (BBS)
- Yale Stem Cell Center
Education & Training
- Postdoctoral Associate
- California Institute of Technology (CalTech) (2020)
- Postdoctoral Associate
- University of Cambridge (2019)
- PhD
- Akdeniz University, Developmental Biology (2018)
- PhD Research Fellow
- University of Cambridge (2018)
- MSc
- Akdeniz University, Reproductive Biology (2013)
Research
Overview
Medical Research Interests
Bioengineering; Embryonic and Fetal Development; Human Development; Metabolism; Pluripotent Stem Cells; Stem Cells
ORCID
0000-0001-5834-5819- View Lab Website
modelling development & disease
Research at a Glance
Yale Co-Authors
Frequent collaborators of Berna Sozen's published research.
Publications Timeline
A big-picture view of Berna Sozen's research output by year.
Research Interests
Research topics Berna Sozen is interested in exploring.
Emre Seli, MD
Liangwen Zhong, PhD
Ashley Abel
Hugh Taylor, MD
Jason Hou
Jenna Bergmann
43Publications
1,740Citations
Pluripotent Stem Cells
Stem Cells
Bioengineering
Publications
2024
Navigating human embryogenesis through tailored model selection
Sozen B. Navigating human embryogenesis through tailored model selection. Nature Cell Biology 2024, 26: 1819-1821. PMID: 39528699, DOI: 10.1038/s41556-024-01525-5.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchAltmetricSelective utilization of glucose metabolism guides mammalian gastrulation
Cao D, Bergmann J, Zhong L, Hemalatha A, Dingare C, Jensen T, Cox A, Greco V, Steventon B, Sozen B. Selective utilization of glucose metabolism guides mammalian gastrulation. Nature 2024, 634: 919-928. PMID: 39415005, PMCID: PMC11499262, DOI: 10.1038/s41586-024-08044-1.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchCitationsAltmetricMeSH Keywords and ConceptsConceptsCellular metabolismMammalian gastrulationHexosamine biosynthetic pathwayTranscription factor networksCellular signaling pathwaysSignaling morphogensGlucose metabolismCellular programmeBiosynthetic pathwayFate acquisitionCell fateHousekeeping natureGenetic mechanismsMesoderm migrationFactor networksERK activationExpression patternsSignaling pathwayDevelopmental processesStem cell modelCell typesSpecialized functionsDevelopmental contextMammalian embryosMouse embryosA brief history of metabolic gradient theory
Sozen B. A brief history of metabolic gradient theory. Nature Reviews Genetics 2024, 1-1. PMID: 39414955, DOI: 10.1038/s41576-024-00790-2.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchAltmetricENDOMETRIAL AND IMPLANTATION MODELING UTILIZING A HIGH-THROUGHPUT 3D SPHEROID GENERATION SYSTEM
Vélez-Avilés A, Abel A, Bergmann J, Cevik E, Zhong L, Taylor H, Sozen B. ENDOMETRIAL AND IMPLANTATION MODELING UTILIZING A HIGH-THROUGHPUT 3D SPHEROID GENERATION SYSTEM. Fertility And Sterility 2024, 122: e365. DOI: 10.1016/j.fertnstert.2024.08.130.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchMannose controls mesoderm specification and symmetry breaking in mouse gastruloids
Dingare C, Cao D, Yang J, Sozen B, Steventon B. Mannose controls mesoderm specification and symmetry breaking in mouse gastruloids. Developmental Cell 2024, 59: 1523-1537.e6. PMID: 38636516, DOI: 10.1016/j.devcel.2024.03.031.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchCitationsAltmetricMeSH Keywords and ConceptsConceptsMesoderm specificationFeatures of embryonic developmentWnt pathway regulationEarly mesoderm developmentProtein glycosylationPathway regulationProteomic analysisIntracellular recyclingMesoderm developmentEmbryonic developmentGlycolytic intermediatesMannoseGlucose transportCompetitive inhibitorGlycosylationGlucose removal
2023
Modelling post-implantation human development to yolk sac blood emergence
Hislop J, Song Q, Keshavarz F. K, Alavi A, Schoenberger R, LeGraw R, Velazquez J, Mokhtari T, Taheri M, Rytel M, Chuva de Sousa Lopes S, Watkins S, Stolz D, Kiani S, Sozen B, Bar-Joseph Z, Ebrahimkhani M. Modelling post-implantation human development to yolk sac blood emergence. Nature 2023, 626: 367-376. PMID: 38092041, PMCID: PMC10849971, DOI: 10.1038/s41586-023-06914-8.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchCitationsAltmetricMeSH Keywords and ConceptsConceptsHuman embryosInduced pluripotent stem cellsLymphoid-like cellsStem cell modelPluripotent stem cellsPost-implantation stagesAmniotic cavityEarly post-implantation stagesHuman-based modelsStem cellsExtra-embryonic endodermHuman embryogenesisBlood formationDrug testingEarly haematopoiesisDisease modelsDisc morphologyHaematopoiesisEmbryonic tissuesCellular programmeCell modelPosterior domainWhat approaches are needed to understand human development and disease?
Sozen B, Flavell R, Lamming D, Silver D, Parrinello S, Abate-Shen C, Michor F, Sankaran V. What approaches are needed to understand human development and disease? Developmental Cell 2023, 58: 2822-2825. PMID: 38113848, DOI: 10.1016/j.devcel.2023.11.026.Commentaries, Editorials and LettersAltmetricShifting early embryology paradigms: Applications of stem cell-based embryo models in bioengineering
Abel A, Sozen B. Shifting early embryology paradigms: Applications of stem cell-based embryo models in bioengineering. Current Opinion In Genetics & Development 2023, 81: 102069. PMID: 37392541, PMCID: PMC10530566, DOI: 10.1016/j.gde.2023.102069.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchCitationsAltmetricMeSH Keywords and ConceptsSelf-patterning of human stem cells into post-implantation lineages
Pedroza M, Gassaloglu S, Dias N, Zhong L, Hou T, Kretzmer H, Smith Z, Sozen B. Self-patterning of human stem cells into post-implantation lineages. Nature 2023, 622: 574-583. PMID: 37369348, PMCID: PMC10584676, DOI: 10.1038/s41586-023-06354-4.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchCitationsAltmetricMeSH Keywords and ConceptsConceptsStem cellsPlacental cell typesPost-implantation embryonic developmentHuman pluripotent stem cellsPluripotent stem cellsHuman embryonic developmentEmbryonic developmentHuman stem cellsCongenital pathologyPost-implantation epiblastDiverse cell statesSingle-cell transcriptomicsAmniotic ectodermExtra-embryonic endodermSpontaneous differentiationSignaling hubThree-dimensional structureSecreted modulatorsCell typesA Spatiotemporal Compartmentalization of Glucose Metabolism Guides Mammalian Gastrulation Progression.
Cao D, Zhong L, Hemalatha A, Bergmann J, Cox AL, Greco V, Sozen B. A Spatiotemporal Compartmentalization of Glucose Metabolism Guides Mammalian Gastrulation Progression. BioRxiv 2023 PMID: 37333168, DOI: 10.1101/2023.06.06.543780.Peer-Reviewed Original Research In Press
Academic Achievements & Community Involvement
honor ReproGrant for Female Reproductive Science
Other AwardReproGrantDetails02/01/2023United Stateshonor NIH Director's New Innovator Award
National AwardOffice of the Director, National Institutes of Health/NIH/DHHSDetails10/10/2022United Stateshonor Smith Family Awards Program for Excellence in Biomedical Research
Regional AwardSmith Family FoundationDetails03/01/2022United Stateshonor Chen Innovation Award
Yale School of Medicine AwardYale Stem Cell CenterDetails02/01/2022United Stateshonor Bohmfalk Scholar in Medical Research
Yale School of Medicine AwardDetails09/25/2020United States
News & Links
Media
- Mouse blastocysts 4 days after fertilisation showing trophectoderm in cyan, that will give rise to the placenta; embryonic inner cell mass in yellow, that generates the embryo proper. F-Actin marks the cell membrane in magenta.
News
- December 12, 2024Source: Yale Ventures
Yale Life Science PitchFest 2024 Showcases Groundbreaking Research and Innovation
- October 18, 2024
Glucose Metabolism Acts as a Compass to Guide Embryonic Development
- November 01, 2023
From the journals
- June 27, 2023
New Model Provides Unprecedented Window Into Human Embryonic Development
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Events
Jan 202529Wednesday
Yale Only Charles Zou - Meiying Cui
Feb 202512Wednesday
Yale Only Speakers to be announced.
Apr 20254Friday
Everyone Monique Pedroza
Apr 202511Friday
Everyone Ashley Abel