M. Fethullah Simsek
Assistant Professor
Department of Biology
Department of Physics and Astronomy
Muhammed is a physicist by training from his alma mater Middle East Technical University in Ankara, Turkey. He holds a Ph.D. from Physics Department of University at Buffalo (cell membrane biophysics) and did postdoctoral research at Albert Einstein College of Medicine in Bronx, NY and Cincinnati Children’s Hospital (developmental systems biology) before joining McMaster University.
Dila Aycan
Ph.D. Student
McMaster Biology
Dila started in the lab in January 2024 and she works on the mechanisms of regulation of the Fgf signalling gradient. Dila graduated from U of T in 2019 and did her Master’s in the Univ of Ottawa. After her MSc, Dila worked as a Research Assistant at BlueRock Therapeutics in Cambridge, MA and as a Science Editor at Xtalks in Toronto, ON.
Hamdan Raneef
Thesis Student
McMaster Biology
Hamdan is in the Molecular Biology and Genetics program and will be starting his thesis research in September 2024 investigating regulations of the ERK pathway in developing embryo. He aims to pursue a career in molecular biology/biomedical research. Outside of academics, Hamdan is an avid soccer fan, enjoys volunteering at the community center and food bank, and loves traveling.
Alina Altinbaeva
Undergraduate Student
McMaster Biochemistry
Alina is a third-year student pursuing Bachelor’s of Health Sciences in Biomedical Discovery and Commercialization. She joined pBODS lab in May 2024 through the McMaster O.U.R. Summer Research Experience Award. Her current research is building on pharmaceutical recovery of somite segmentation with various drugs.
Ciara Kinsella
Undergraduate Student
McMaster Biology
Ciara joined the lab in May 2024 as a recipient of a Summer Research Experience Award. She has loved science since she was a kid and is thrilled to be working on a project exploring the use of pulsate drug treatments to recover somites in clock-mutant embryos. She aims to pursue graduate studies in Molecular Biology and Genetics, and have a career in research.