GlakoLens

Dr. Yalçınkaya been a faculty member of the Department of Electrical and Electronics Engineering, Bogazici University, Istanbul, Turkey, since 2006, where he is currently a Full Professor. He held research engineer, visiting researcher, technical consultant positions at IMEC, Leuven, Belgium, CNM, Barcelona, Spain, Koc University and Microvision Inc., Seattle, USA in the past. Dr. Yalçınkaya received his BSc degree from Istanbul Technical University (ITU), MSc and PhD degrees from Technical University of Denmark (DTU), all in Electrical Engineering in 1997, 1999 and 2003, respectively. He received Bogazici University Foundation Excellence in Research Award, Mustafa Parlar Foundation Research Encouragement Award, and Turkish Academy of Sciences (TUBA), Distinguished Young Scientists Award in 2010, 2011, and 2013, respectively. His experimental research activities resulted in a few proprietary technologies and protected IPs resulting in a start-up company, GlakoLens.

Dr. Dündar joined Bogazici University, Istanbul, Turkey in 1994. He works at the Department of Electrical and Electronic Engineering at the same university. His research interests are in the design of integrated circuits and methodologies for integrated circuit design. Besides Bogazici University, he has held visiting positions at EPFL and Technical University of Munich as well as various institutions in Turkey. He received his BS and MS degrees from Bogazici University, Istanbul, Turkey in 1989 and 1991, respectively, and his PhD degree from the Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, Troy, NY, USA in 1993, all in electrical engineering. He received the Technology Award from Elginkan Foundation, Turkey in 2016, Research Encouragement Award from the Turkish Council of Science and Technology, Turkey in 2009, various research awards from Bogazici University and best paper awards in several conferences. He has advised more than 70 MS students and 18 PhD students as well as having published more than 200 papers in international journals and conferences. He has designed or contributed to the design of more than 20 chips and numerous electronic systems.

Dr. Torun joined the University of Northumbria at Newcastle in 2017. He works at the Faculty of Engineering and Environment and is affiliated with the Future Engineering. His research interest is in engineering at micro- and nano-scales. Previously, he was an academic at the Department of Electrical and Electronics Engineering and affiliated with the Center for Life Sciences and Technologies at Bogazici University, Istanbul, Turkey. He received his B.S. degree from Middle East Technical University, Ankara, Turkey, in 2003, his M.S. degree from Koc University, Istanbul, Turkey, in 2005, and his Ph.D. degree from the Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, USA in 2009, all in electrical engineering. He was a postdoctoral fellow in the Department of Mechanical Engineering, Georgia Institute of Technology during 2009-2010. He received Technology Award from Elginkan Foundation, Turkey in 2015, Young Scientist Award from The Science Academy, Turkey in 2016, Innovator Under 35 Award from MIT Tech Review in 2014, and Marie Curie Fellowship (MC-IRG Grant) in 2011.

Özgür is a biomedical engineer who has contributed to over 10 R&D projects in various roles (project manager, researcher, design engineer, and author). His experience in the areas of project management, electronics engineering and biomedical engineering combined with his background (family of medical doctors) makes him the ideal person to lead a team of excellent engineers working in an interdisciplinary field. He previously worked as a research assistant at Koç University, Erasmus MC, and Boğaziçi University. Özgür Kaya acquired his BSc degree in Electrical & Electronics Engineering at Koç University and MSc degree in Biomedical Engineering at TU Delft. He is about to complete his PhD in the Institute of Biomedical Engineering at Boğaziçi University. Özgür Kaya holds certificates for applied entrepreneurship, project management, laboratory animal experimentation and good clinical practices. He is also an occupational health and safety specialist (class C).

Dr. Mentak is a serial entrepreneur and inventor. He has founded and led several successful medical device companies including, Advanced Vision Science, Inc., Key Medical Technologies, Inc., and Adoptics Ltd. He is the inventor of the enVista®, Eternity®, and Eternity Natural® implants sold by B&L and Santen Ltd. Dr. Mentak is the co-founder of the Catalyst Technology Innovation Group, a medical project generator in the San Francisco Bay Area. Dr. Mentak has a PhD in Materials Science and Bioengineering from the University of Florida and holds 30 US and international patents.

Dr. Sahin is working as a professor, researcher and ophthalmologist at Koç University Hospital. He received his medical degree from Ankara University Medical School and completed his ophthalmology residency at Hacettepe University Medical School, Ankara. He completed a postdoctoral fellowship program at the Harvard Medical School Schepens Eye Research Institute, focusing on Corneal and External Diseases and Surgery. His clinical and research interests include ocular surface and corneal diseases, sex steroid regulation of the ocular surface and adnexa, and corneal transplantation. He has received numerous international awards including ARVO Collaborative Research Fellowship Award, ICO Helmerich Fellowship Award, ARVO Fellowship Grant Award, MEACO/ADTA Fellowship grant award, WOC ICO Fellowship Grant Award, Royal College of Ophthalmologists Best Reviewer Award, The Turkish Academy of Sciences (TÜBA) ‘Outstanding Young Scientist Award’, Association for Research and Vision in Ophthalmology (ARVO) ‘Developing Country Eye Researcher Fellowship Award’, Turkish Ophthalmology Society Scientific Award, and most recently Turkish Medical Association Most Successful Medical Doctor of Eskişehir. Dr. Sahin has published over 100 articles, book chapters, and abstracts.

Aybüke received her BSc degree in Electrical and Electronics Engineering from Boğaziçi University, Turkey in 2016. She is currently working at Glakolens as a Research & Development Engineer, responsible for the design and simulations of metamaterial inspired passive biosensor architectures targeting continuous IOP monitoring and electrically small antennas which are resonant with passive sensors. Besides, she is involved in the clean room fabrication of biosensors on biocompatible polymers, and development of phantoms and test setups for the characterization of the biosensors. Aybüke is currently working towards her MSc degree at Boğaziçi University, focusing on the characterization and fabrication of metamaterial-based sensors for biosensing applications and resonator coupled antenna systems.

Deniz is a research and development engineer. She has a bachelor’s degree in Electrical and Electronics Engineering from Bogazici University, Istanbul and now she is studying for an MSc degree in the same department and university. She improved herself by learning different programming languages and designing electronic circuits in addition to her education. She is always passionate about using her knowledge in engineering for the good of people.

Gökhan is a pioneer in deep tech investing in Turkey with a particular focus in life sciences. He is a Managing Partner at ACT, a technology VC fund. Previously, he managed a life sciences heavy portfolio for 5 years at Inventram, one of the first tech commercialization companies of Turkey. Prior to that as an M&A professional at GIH and PDF Corporate Finance, he had the opportunity to build expertise in finance and mergers & acquisitions. Having studied and lived in the US and UK for over 12 years, Gokhan designed and developed many complex electronics and software products at Lucent Technologies, Xilinx, Cadence Design Systems, and Moseley Wireless Solutions. He was also a founding member of SanBar Networks, a high tech start-up in California. He received his MBA at London Business School, MSc, PhD (abd) in Electrical and Computer Eng. at the University of California, Santa Barbara, and BS in Electrical & Electronics Engineering at Bilkent University.

Murat Akman worked as an executive in the Information Technology sector at various multinational and national companies around the globe (in the USA, Turkey and the People’s Republic of China). He was a managing director in six successful start-ups and joint ventures (Digital Equipment Corporation – Turkey, KOÇ-Systems Connect Group, Superonline, Beijing RAM, QAD/Turkey). In 2009, he returned to his alma mater to set up and jump-start Technology Transfer and Commercialization Department. Murat Akman received his BSc (1982) and MSc (1985) degrees from Boğaziçi University.