Berna Sozen, PhD
Assistant Professor of GeneticsCards
Appointments
Additional Titles
Assistant Professor, Genetics
Assistant Professor, Reproductive Sciences
Contact Info
Appointments
Additional Titles
Assistant Professor, Genetics
Assistant Professor, Reproductive Sciences
Contact Info
Appointments
Additional Titles
Assistant Professor, Genetics
Assistant Professor, Reproductive Sciences
Contact Info
About
Titles
Assistant Professor of Genetics
Assistant Professor, Genetics; Assistant Professor, Reproductive SciencesBiography
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
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 Subject Headings (MeSH)
- View Lab Website
modelling development & disease
Research at a Glance
Yale Co-Authors
Publications Timeline
Research Interests
Emre Seli, MD
Liangwen Zhong, PhD
Murat Basar, PhD
Zachary Smith, PhD
Pluripotent Stem Cells
Publications
2023
Shifting 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. Curr Opin Genet Dev 2023, 81: 102069. PMID: 37392541, DOI: 10.1016/j.gde.2023.102069.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchSelf-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
2022
Carnegie in 4D? Stem-cell-based models of human embryo development.
Sozen B, Conkar D, Veenvliet JV. Carnegie in 4D? Stem-cell-based models of human embryo development. Seminars In Cell & Developmental Biology 2022, 131: 44-57. PMID: 35701286, DOI: 10.1016/j.semcdb.2022.05.023.Peer-Reviewed Original Research
2021
Human embryo polarization requires PLC signaling to mediate trophectoderm specification
Zhu M, Shahbazi M, Martin A, Zhang C, Sozen B, Borsos M, Mandelbaum RS, Paulson RJ, Mole MA, Esbert M, Titus S, Scott RT, Campbell A, Fishel S, Gradinaru V, Zhao H, Wu K, Chen ZJ, Seli E, de los Santos MJ, Goetz M. Human embryo polarization requires PLC signaling to mediate trophectoderm specification. ELife 2021, 10: e65068. PMID: 34569938, PMCID: PMC8514238, DOI: 10.7554/elife.65068.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchCitationsAltmetricMeSH Keywords and ConceptsMeSH KeywordsActinsAdultBody PatterningCell DifferentiationCell LineageCell PolarityEmbryo Culture TechniquesEmbryo, MammalianFemaleGATA3 Transcription FactorGene Expression Regulation, DevelopmentalGene Expression Regulation, EnzymologicHumansPhosphoinositide Phospholipase CPhospholipase C betaPregnancySignal TransductionTime FactorsYoung AdultConceptsApical domain formationInner cell massEmbryo polarizationPhospholipase CFirst lineage segregationApico-basal polarizationEight-cell stageLineage segregationMammalian developmentTrophectoderm specificationTE fateApical enrichmentApical accumulationDistinct lineagesApical domainApolar cellsPar complexPolarized cellsRNA interferenceMolecular mechanismsF-actinHuman embryosCell stageEmbryosDomain formationReconstructing aspects of human embryogenesis with pluripotent stem cells.
Sozen B, Jorgensen V, Weatherbee BAT, Chen S, Zhu M, Zernicka-Goetz M. Reconstructing aspects of human embryogenesis with pluripotent stem cells. Nature Communications 2021, 12: 5550. PMID: 34548496, PMCID: PMC8455697, DOI: 10.1038/s41467-021-25853-4.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchUnfolded protein response triggers differential apoptotic mechanisms in ovaries and early embryos exposed to maternal type 1 diabetes.
Okan A, Demir N, Sozen B. Unfolded protein response triggers differential apoptotic mechanisms in ovaries and early embryos exposed to maternal type 1 diabetes. Scientific Reports 2021, 11: 12759. PMID: 34140543, PMCID: PMC8211688, DOI: 10.1038/s41598-021-92093-3.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchThe dynamics of morphogenesis in stem cell-based embryology: Novel insights for symmetry breaking.
Sozen B, Cornwall-Scoones J, Zernicka-Goetz M. The dynamics of morphogenesis in stem cell-based embryology: Novel insights for symmetry breaking. Developmental Biology 2021, 474: 82-90. PMID: 33333067, PMCID: PMC8259461, DOI: 10.1016/j.ydbio.2020.12.005.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchBMP signalling is required for extra-embryonic ectoderm development during pre-to-post-implantation transition of the mouse embryo.
Sozen B, Demir N, Zernicka-Goetz M. BMP signalling is required for extra-embryonic ectoderm development during pre-to-post-implantation transition of the mouse embryo. Developmental Biology 2021, 470: 84-94. PMID: 33217407, PMCID: PMC8219371, DOI: 10.1016/j.ydbio.2020.11.005.Peer-Reviewed Original Research
2019
Self-Organization of Mouse Stem Cells into an Extended Potential Blastoid.
Sozen B, Cox AL, De Jonghe J, Bao M, Hollfelder F, Glover DM, Zernicka-Goetz M. Self-Organization of Mouse Stem Cells into an Extended Potential Blastoid. Developmental Cell 2019, 51: 698-712.e8. PMID: 31846649, DOI: 10.1016/j.devcel.2019.11.014.Peer-Reviewed Original Research
Academic Achievements and 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
Links & Media
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
- November 01, 2023
From the journals
- June 27, 2023
New Model Provides Unprecedented Window Into Human Embryonic Development
- October 07, 2022Source: YaleNews
Three Early-career Scientists Recognized as ‘Innovators’
- December 01, 2020
Genetics Department Welcomes New Faculty for 2020/21
Get In Touch
Contacts
Events
Everyone Thorsten Edwin Boroviak, PhD