We introduce: Prof. Özgün Gökce
Neurobiologist Özgün Gökce was recently recruited to the German Center of Neurodegenerative Diseasses (DZNE) on campus of at the University Hospital Bonn. He is also a member of the Medical Faculty at Bonn University. As head of the research group "Systems Neuroscience – Cell Diversity", Gökce has been appointed as a member of ImmunoSensation2 from March 2023.
As an interdisciplinary neuroscientist, Özgün Gökce develops novel approaches to study nervous system for preserving cognitive health during aging and thwarting neurodegeneration. In a period of rapid and transformative technological breakthroughs, he and his team aim to develop and employ innovative tools to unravel the core principles governing the nervous system in both healthy and diseased states.
"Our research group represents a synergistic fusion of multi disciplinary expertise, striving to unravel the complexities of age-related brain disorders through the development of cutting-edge quantitative genomics techniques." Gökce says. "Our mission is to decode the cellular responses underlying the aging process and to dissect the molecular mechanisms driving neurodevelopmental and neurodegenerative disorders." To achieve these objectives, his team develops and integrates state-of-the-art technologies, including single-cell RNA sequencing (scRNA-seq), spatial transcriptomics (ST), electron microscopy, and machine learning algorithms, forging a comprehensive and holistic understanding of these critical biological processes.
Short biography
After completing his molecular biology studies at Bogazici University in Istanbul, Özgun Gökce became fascinated by brain function and the decline of these functions during neurodegeneration. Throughout his Ph.D. at EPFL in Lausanne, he honed his expertise in developing and characterizing neurodegeneration models, utilizing high-content imaging and transcriptomics, while embracing a data-driven research approach. As a postdoctoral fellow at Stanford University, under the guidance of Thomas Südhof and Stephen Quake, Gökce contributed to the development and application of single-cell and long sequencing technologies. In 2016, he established his independent research group at LMU Munich, focusing on hypothesis-free, bioinformatics-driven strategies to investigate brain aging. This approach led to several single-cell RNA sequencing (scRNA-seq) studies, identifying a microglial state specific to aging white matter (Safaiyan et al., 2021, Neuron) and uncovering the role of CD8 T cells in age-related white matter loss (Kaya et al., 2022, Nature Neuroscience).
At the University of Bonn, Gökce aims at developing and employing state-of-the-art technologies, such as single-cell RNA sequencing (scRNA-seq), spatial transcriptomics (ST), electron microscopy, and machine learning algorithms, to unravel the complex biological processes underlying aging and neurodegeneration.
Contact
German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases (DZNE)
Venusberg-Campus 1/99
D-53127 Bonn
Germany
