Serra Kaya

Serra Kaya, PhD, is a Research Fellow in the Alliston Lab at the University of California, San Francisco (UCSF), Department of Orthopaedic Surgery. She joined the lab in March 2018 and investigates genetic determinants of bone fragility and mechanisms of perilacunar/canalicular remodeling that control bone quality.

Her educational background includes:

• PhD in Biomedical Engineering from The City College of New York (2017)
• BSc in Chemical Engineering from Bogazici University, Istanbul, Turkey (2010)
• Exchange Student at Kansas State University (2008)

Dr. Kaya's research centers on bone biomechanics, next-generation sequencing, and biomedical informatics, with focus on osteocyte regulation of bone quality through perilacunar remodeling. Her work bridges engineering principles with bone biology to address disorders of bone fragility, leveraging advanced imaging and molecular techniques developed during her doctoral studies on osteocytic osteolysis during lactation.

The Alliston Lab, led by Dr. Tamara Alliston, operates under multiple NIH and DOD grants including an R01 Supplement for Alzheimer's disease research ("Osteocytic function in bone brain crosstalk in Alzheimer’s Disease") and a DOD Expansion Grant for post-traumatic osteoarthritis. Dr. Kaya actively contributes to this collaborative environment, presenting findings at major conferences including the Orthopaedic Research Society meetings and Gordon Research Conferences, while mentoring junior lab members and supporting graduate student research.