Erhan Keleş

Erhan Keleş serves as an Assistant Professor at Boğaziçi University, leading an innovative research program at the intersection of cancer biology, chemical biology, and computational drug discovery. His work focuses on developing precision therapeutics targeting oncogenic pathways with exceptional specificity.

His academic journey includes:

• Undergraduate studies at Istanbul Technical University and Montana State University (UOLP)
• Master's degree from Washington State University
• PhD from the University of Basel
• Postdoctoral training at Stanford University and EPFL

Dr. Keleş specializes in rational design of covalent inhibitors for PI3Kα and mTOR, achieving breakthroughs in isoform selectivity and brain penetration. His group employs active volume scanning, structure-guided design, and proteome-wide profiling to develop metabolically stable compounds like PQR626 for neurological manifestations of cancer. Current efforts leverage AI-assisted platforms to accelerate next-generation inhibitor discovery.

Publication trends reveal consistent advancement in covalent targeting strategies for PI3K signaling and brain-penetrant mTOR inhibitors, spanning chemical biology, medicinal chemistry, and translational oncology. His work bridges molecular insights with clinical applications for precision cancer medicine.

Key recognition includes:

• TÜBİTAK 2232 Fellowship supporting AI-driven drug discovery

Dr. Keleş actively mentors graduate researchers and recruits Master's, PhD, and postdoctoral candidates for his laboratory. His research is funded through competitive grants including the TÜBİTAK 2232 Fellowship, which enables integration of empirical and computational approaches for therapeutic development.

The research group operates an interdisciplinary environment combining chemical biology, structural analysis, and machine learning to translate molecular discoveries into clinically viable cancer therapeutics, with particular emphasis on neurological applications of oncology drugs.