معرفی
Dr. Tugba Kucukkal is a Professor of Chemistry at Gallaudet University, part of the School of Science, Technology, Accessibility, Mathematics, and Public Health (STAMP). She earned her Ph.D. in computational chemistry from Clemson University (2013) and completed postdoctoral work in biophysics. Her research focuses on computational biophysics, drug discovery, and improving STEM education through innovative teaching methods. She leads the Drug Discovery Lab, funded by NIH and NSF grants, aiming to identify novel PLK1 inhibitors for cancer therapies. Dr. Kucukkal is dedicated to mentoring underrepresented students in STEM, particularly Deaf/HoH individuals, through programs like the American Chemical Society Project Seed. Her teaching spans courses in chemistry and physics, emphasizing accessibility and hands-on research integration.
- Education: Ph.D. in Computational Chemistry (Clemson University, 2013); Postdoctoral Biophysics Research
- Research Interests:
- Computational modeling of protein-ligand interactions
- Development of selective cancer therapeutics targeting PLK1
- Undergraduate research mentorship and curriculum innovation
- Advocacy for diversity in STEM
Her NIH-funded research (1R15GM148942-01) focuses on PLK1 inhibitors, with recent grants including NSF ACCESS supercomputing time and Gallaudet's President’s Research Excellence Award. Dr. Kucukkal has mentored over 20 undergraduate and high school students, with one protégé winning a $130K scholarship. She emphasizes inclusive education, stating, “Diversity without inclusion is exclusion.”
