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Berna Sozen, PhD

Assistant Professor of Genetics
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Additional Titles

Assistant Professor, Genetics

Assistant Professor, Reproductive Sciences

About

Titles

Assistant Professor of Genetics

Assistant Professor, Genetics; Assistant Professor, Reproductive Sciences

Biography

Dr. Berna Sozen is a developmental biologist whose research focuses on early mammalian embryogenesis and stem cell-based models of human development.

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.

She is recognized for pioneering work that has advanced our understanding of lineage specification, tissue morphogenesis, and the self-organization of embryonic structures. Her lab's studies integrate cutting-edge stem cell technologies, multi-omics profiling, and imaging to uncover the mechanisms guiding early human development. Dr. Sozen's contributions have not only provided critical insights into human embryo biology but have also helped establish stem cell-derived embryo models as a powerful system for developmental and biomedical research.

Last Updated on June 17, 2025.

Appointments

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

Research at a Glance

Yale Co-Authors

Frequent collaborators of Berna Sozen's published research.

Publications

2021

2014

2012

2011

Academic Achievements & Community Involvement

Honors

  • honor

    American Society of Reproductive Medicine (ASRM) Discovery & Innovation Grant Awardee

  • honor

    The Blavatnik Accelarator Award for Innovation at Yale

  • honor

    ReproGrant for Female Reproductive Science

  • honor

    NIH Director's New Innovator Award

  • honor

    Smith Family Awards Program for Excellence in Biomedical Research

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