Görkem S. Ülkâr grew up and studied in the Netherlands, holds a BSc and MSc in Bio-Pharmaceutical Sciences with a specialization in Systems Biomedicine and Pharmacology from Leiden University. Her journey through academia involved a variety of independent research projects and teaching assistant roles paving the way for her current PhD project at King's College London (UK).

During her academic journey, she delved into various intriguing topics. At the University of Oxford (UK), she explored the circadian regulation of HIV, and the influence of drug treatment on HIV-1 infection. At the University of Cambridge (UK), she identified and evaluated novel modulators of the TRPM8 ion channel. At the Institute of Biology Leiden (NL), she investigated the drug pentoxifylline for treating neonatal sepsis in a zebrafish larvae model. At the Leiden Academic Centre for Drug Research (NL), she researched the role of the chaperone protein HSPA5 in the unfolded protein response triggered by drug-induced kidney injury.

Her diverse research background has fueled a strong interest in pursuing her doctoral project focused on Fluorescence Lifetime Imaging Microscopy and imaging mechanobiological sensing and cellular response in cancer under supervision of professor Maddy Parsons at King’s College London. She is excited about the knowledge and discoveries that await her in this journey!