Suleyman Coskun, PhD, MSc

I received my PhD in Molecular and Cellular Biology at Baylor College of Medicine and currently studying genetic and epigenetic regulations in brain cancer at Yale University Department of Neurosurgery. I studied biodegradable matrices for 3D bone tissue engineering as well as controlled drug delivery systems for fracture healing during my MSc. Studies (Coskun et al., J. Biomater. Sci. Polym. Ed. 2005). My PhD work focused on characterization of fetal bone marrow hematopoietic stem cells (HSC) and the role of vasculature in maintenance of HSC function within HSC microenvironment. We identified the first emergence of adult repopulating HSC in fetal bone marrow at E16.5 in mouse model for the first time, and that osteolineage niche cells are essential for HSC to gain long-term adult repopulating ability. This was the first study characterizing the role of major niche components in regulation and maintenance of fetal HSC within developing niche (Coskun et al. Cell Reports 2014). In my postdoctoral research, I focus on identiying the genetic and epigenetic causes of brain and central nervous system tumors with various histological and pathological grades with the conviction that identification of molecular make-up of brain tumors will guide the development of personalized targeted therapies.