Aslihan Tolun (Biology)
Aslihan Tolun |
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Asli Tolun is a molecular geneticist searching for genes which cause inherited diseases – in short a 'gene hunter'. Her team studies families afflicted with rare or novel diseases, first finding the chromosomal location of the defective gene and then going on to identify the gene itself. The first gene identified by Asli's group was found to be responsible for tiny stone formation in the lungs (pulmonary alveolar microlithiasis). They showed that the disease is purely genetic and has nothing to do with environmental factors.
Asli also teaches genetics in the Molecular Biology and Genetics
Department at Bogazici University in Istanbul, Turkey. Actually, Asli did not begin her university education as a molecular geneticist, mainly because such an education was not commonly offered at the time.
She first studied physics in Istanbul (Turkey), then obtained an MS in Biophysics at Penn State University (USA) and a PhD in Genetics at Uppsala University (Sweden). Later she worked for three years at University of California in San Diego.
She finds the work as a geneticist very rewarding, since it relates to both basic science and health while training young scientists, but the research is demanding both financially and time-wise. Such a job opens up opportunities to travel with her team to different parts of Turkey to get to know patient families when collecting blood samples. Due to the high rate of marriages among relatives, such rare and novel diseases are common, especially in eastern Anatolia.
Asli Tolun is a member of the Turkish Academy of Sciences and contributes to its activities on academic ethics. In addition, she has worked to initiate the Turkish national programme of L'Oréal - Turkish Academy of Sciences 'For Women in Science'.