Dr. Berna Sayan

School of Science, Engineering and Environment

Photo of Dr. Berna Sayan

Contact Details

Please email to arrange an appointment.

ORCID

Current positions

Teaching Fellow in Biomedicine, Placement Tutor for the Biomedical Science Research & Industry and Human Biology Infectious Diseases

Biography

I completed my PhD at Bilkent University, Department of Molecular Biology and Genetics, in 2001. After a one-year post-doc experience at INSERM, France, I started working at MRC Toxicology Unit, Leicester UK as a career development fellow. Following this post, I moved to the University of Southampton to establish my research group. In 2013, I started working as a lecturer at the University of Manchester, where I also became a Fellow of the Higher Education Academy (FHEA). In 2021, I completed a PGCE and joined the University of Salford as a teaching fellow in 2022.

Areas of research

Cancer, Skin, Kinase signalling pathways, Drug repositioning, Natural products

Areas of supervision

Cancer, Skin, Kinase signalling pathways, Drug repositioning, Natural products

Teaching

I teach on a number of modules across the Biomedical Science and Human Biology and Infectious Diseases Programmes (Human Physiology, Professional Skills, Biomedical Skills, Translational research Skills, Final year projects) and on the postgraduate MSc Programmes.

Research Interests

My research focuses on the regulation of survival and cell death mechanisms at transcriptional, post-transcriptional and post-translational levels in normal physiology and following cellular stress. I am interested in the control of key signalling pathways that act upstream and/or downstream of the transcription factors p63, more specifically in cancer and the skin.

On the teaching and learning front I am interested in improving student engagement and experience through development of innovative teaching strategies.

Qualifications and memberships

Qualifications

  • BSc (Hons)
  • MSc
  • PhD
  • FHEA
  • PGCE-QTS

Membership

  • Fellowship of the Higher Education Academy (FHEA)