Zehra Sayers | |
---|---|
Born | 25 September 1953 |
Alma mater |
University of Hamburg (
Habilitation) University of London (PhD) Boğaziçi University |
Spouse(s) | Colin Sayers[
citation needed] Ahmet Evin [1] |
Awards |
BBC 100 Women (2019) AAAS Award for Science Diplomacy (as part of a five-scientist group, 2019) |
Scientific career | |
Institutions |
Open University University of Uppsala European Molecular Biology Laboratory Sabancı University |
Thesis | Random Walk Behaviour of Amoeba proteus in Response to Electric Fields and Other Stimuli (1978) |
Website |
people |
Zehra Sayers (born 25 September 1953) is a Turkish- British structural biologist. She has previously served as Interim President of the Sabancı University (February–November 2018) and co-chaired the scientific advisory committee for Synchrotron-Light for Experimental Science and Applications in the Middle East (SESAME). She was part of a five-scientist group that received the AAAS Award for Science Diplomacy in 2019. She holds Turkish and British citizenship. [2]
Sayers was born in Turkey. She studied physics at Boğaziçi University in Istanbul. For her postgraduate studies Sayers moved to the United Kingdom. In 1978 she earned a doctorate for research done at King's College London GKT School of Medical Education, the degree was awarded by the University of London. [3] [4] [5] Sayers worked as a postdoctoral researcher in the Open University and the Wallenberg Laboratory, Uppsala University. [6] [2] In 1986 she was the first woman staff scientist to be appointed to the Hamburg outstation of the European Molecular Biology Laboratory, [6] [7] where she used synchrotron radiation to study cytoskeletal proteins and chromatin. [4] Whilst working in Germany she obtained her habilitation [7] in 1996 [2] with a thesis from the University of Hamburg.
In 1998 Sayers returned to Turkey, joining the founding faculty of Sabancı University [8] as the partner of Ahmet Evin. [1] Established by the Turkish industrial and financial conglomerate Hacı Ömer Sabancı Holding A.Ş., Sabancı University was the first and only university where Sayers served as faculty member: she was Director of the Foundation Development Program in 2010 and Interim President from February to November 2018. [6] [9] Her research has considered recombinant protein production, and has considered the structure of chromatin fibres and filamentous proteins. [6] She looks to identify the relationship between structure and function in macromolecules. [2] At Sabancı University, Sayers was involved in undergraduate teaching, developing an interdisciplinary, liberal arts, curriculum for science teaching. [4] She became professor emerita in 2022. [5]
Sayers became involved with the Synchrotron-Light for Experimental Science and Applications in the Middle East (SESAME) [10] project since 2000. The light source was inaugurated in 2017 by Abdullah II of Jordan. [11] She believes that synchrotron light sources are an effective way to integrate scientists from different disciplines and nationalities. [12] During her time as Co-chair of the Scientific Advisory Committee, more than 100 young scientists were trained to use the synchrotron radiation. [12] She held her position as Co-chair of the Scientific Advisory Committee of SESAME from 2002 to 2018. [4] [13] Sayers has worked as an advisor for the Turkish Accelerator Center Project, supported by the Turkish state. [6] Together with Eliezer Rabinovici, she spoke about the international collaborations that are part of SESAME at TEDx CERN in 2013. [14]
She was awarded the EuroScience Rammal Award in 2017, which recognised her contributions to building the scientific programme of SESAME. [4] [15] In 2019 Sayers became the first person of joint Turkish and British citizenship to win the AAAS Award for Science Diplomacy, as part of a group of five scientists receiving the award for their contributions to SESAME. [16] [17] Later that year she was named as one of the BBC 100 Women in 2019. [18]
Zehra Sayers | |
---|---|
Born | 25 September 1953 |
Alma mater |
University of Hamburg (
Habilitation) University of London (PhD) Boğaziçi University |
Spouse(s) | Colin Sayers[
citation needed] Ahmet Evin [1] |
Awards |
BBC 100 Women (2019) AAAS Award for Science Diplomacy (as part of a five-scientist group, 2019) |
Scientific career | |
Institutions |
Open University University of Uppsala European Molecular Biology Laboratory Sabancı University |
Thesis | Random Walk Behaviour of Amoeba proteus in Response to Electric Fields and Other Stimuli (1978) |
Website |
people |
Zehra Sayers (born 25 September 1953) is a Turkish- British structural biologist. She has previously served as Interim President of the Sabancı University (February–November 2018) and co-chaired the scientific advisory committee for Synchrotron-Light for Experimental Science and Applications in the Middle East (SESAME). She was part of a five-scientist group that received the AAAS Award for Science Diplomacy in 2019. She holds Turkish and British citizenship. [2]
Sayers was born in Turkey. She studied physics at Boğaziçi University in Istanbul. For her postgraduate studies Sayers moved to the United Kingdom. In 1978 she earned a doctorate for research done at King's College London GKT School of Medical Education, the degree was awarded by the University of London. [3] [4] [5] Sayers worked as a postdoctoral researcher in the Open University and the Wallenberg Laboratory, Uppsala University. [6] [2] In 1986 she was the first woman staff scientist to be appointed to the Hamburg outstation of the European Molecular Biology Laboratory, [6] [7] where she used synchrotron radiation to study cytoskeletal proteins and chromatin. [4] Whilst working in Germany she obtained her habilitation [7] in 1996 [2] with a thesis from the University of Hamburg.
In 1998 Sayers returned to Turkey, joining the founding faculty of Sabancı University [8] as the partner of Ahmet Evin. [1] Established by the Turkish industrial and financial conglomerate Hacı Ömer Sabancı Holding A.Ş., Sabancı University was the first and only university where Sayers served as faculty member: she was Director of the Foundation Development Program in 2010 and Interim President from February to November 2018. [6] [9] Her research has considered recombinant protein production, and has considered the structure of chromatin fibres and filamentous proteins. [6] She looks to identify the relationship between structure and function in macromolecules. [2] At Sabancı University, Sayers was involved in undergraduate teaching, developing an interdisciplinary, liberal arts, curriculum for science teaching. [4] She became professor emerita in 2022. [5]
Sayers became involved with the Synchrotron-Light for Experimental Science and Applications in the Middle East (SESAME) [10] project since 2000. The light source was inaugurated in 2017 by Abdullah II of Jordan. [11] She believes that synchrotron light sources are an effective way to integrate scientists from different disciplines and nationalities. [12] During her time as Co-chair of the Scientific Advisory Committee, more than 100 young scientists were trained to use the synchrotron radiation. [12] She held her position as Co-chair of the Scientific Advisory Committee of SESAME from 2002 to 2018. [4] [13] Sayers has worked as an advisor for the Turkish Accelerator Center Project, supported by the Turkish state. [6] Together with Eliezer Rabinovici, she spoke about the international collaborations that are part of SESAME at TEDx CERN in 2013. [14]
She was awarded the EuroScience Rammal Award in 2017, which recognised her contributions to building the scientific programme of SESAME. [4] [15] In 2019 Sayers became the first person of joint Turkish and British citizenship to win the AAAS Award for Science Diplomacy, as part of a group of five scientists receiving the award for their contributions to SESAME. [16] [17] Later that year she was named as one of the BBC 100 Women in 2019. [18]