Zeynep İşlek KöklüView profile
Lecturer
Dr. Zeynep İşlek Köklü serves as a Lecturer at Yeditepe University's Faculty of Engineering, Department of Genetics and Bioengineering, with concurrent appointments at Terasaki Institute (2025) and prior affiliation at Istanbul Health and Technology University's Faculty of Pharmacy (2021). Her research integrates nanomedicine, parasitology, and oncology to develop targeted therapeutic systems. Education: PhD in Biotechnology, Yeditepe University (2015-2023): Thesis on neurological aspects of leishmaniasis and boron-based antileishmanial therapy PhD in Pharmaceutical Technology, Aegean University (2015-2020): Thesis on solid lipid nanoparticles for melanoma treatment Bachelor of Pharmacy, Yeditepe University (2009-2014) Her research focuses on nanocarrier systems (particularly emulsomes) for antileishmanial and anticancer applications, with significant contributions to understanding host-pathogen interactions in cerebral leishmaniasis and neuroinflammation. Current work explores extracellular vesicles, boron-based therapeutics, and dual-targeting strategies for precision medicine. Analysis of her 2020-2024 publications reveals three dominant research trajectories: (1) Nanoparticle-mediated delivery of antileishmanial compounds targeting macrophages, (2) Curcumin-emulsome formulations for multi-cancer therapy with focus on apoptosis mechanisms, and (3) Development of novel diagnostic methods for parasitic infections. Her work consistently bridges pharmaceutical technology with disease-specific immunological mechanisms. Academic Supervision: Master's student Selin Zeynep (2024): Antibacterial/antifungal peptide-antibiotic conjugates Master's student Serra Naz (2025): Nanoparticulate systems against Leishmania for theranostic applications Dr. İşlek Köklü co-authored the 2022 book Extracellular Vesicles - Role in Diseases, Pathogenesis and Therapy (IntechOpen) and holds seven patents related to boron therapy for leishmaniasis, BNIP derivatives, and curcumin-piperin emulsomes. She maintains active research collaborations with Prof. Fikrettin Şahin and Dr. Mehmet Hikmet Üçışık, and serves as faculty advisor for immunology and biochemistry courses across undergraduate and graduate programs.










