Prof. Dr. Bahar Güntekin

Dr. Güntekin is the Principal Investigator of the Bahar Guntekin Lab. at Istanbul Medipol University. She is professor of Biophysics and Head of the Neuroscience program under Brain and Cognition Research Center, BEYKOG, SABITA. For more about her background, please see her faculty page and her current curriculum vitae.

bguntekin@medipol.edu.tr

Harun Yırıkoğulları

Harun Yırıkoğulları graduated from the Psychology Undergraduate Program at Ankara Yıldırım Beyazıt University in 2018. As part of his master’s studies, he joined the Cognitive Neuroscience and EEG Laboratory (Güntekin Lab) at Istanbul Medipol University in 2019 and completed his master’s degree in Neuroscience under the supervision of Prof. Dr. Bahar Güntekin with a thesis titled “Investigation of working memory performance via EEG event-related oscillations following acute sleep deprivation.” Following his graduation, he began the Neuroscience PhD program at the same laboratory and is currently continuing his work on his doctoral thesis, titled “Modulation of cognitive and neural oscillatory dynamics via light stimulation following sleep deprivation.”

harun.yirikogullari@medipol.edu.tr

Simay Alptekin

Simay Alptekin graduated from the Psychology Undergraduate Program at Istanbul University. She subsequently completed her master’s degree in Experimental Psychology at the same university. During her academic training, she gained international research experience through internships at Ruhr University Bochum in 2018 and Maastricht University in 2025. She is currently pursuing her PhD in Cognitive Neuroscience at Istanbul Medipol University, conducting her doctoral research in the Cognitive Neuroscience and EEG Laboratory (Güntekin Lab) under the supervision of Prof. Dr. Bahar Güntekin. She is also a Research Assistant in the Department of Psychology at Istanbul Medipol University. Her doctoral work explores the modulation of visuospatial attention through non-invasive brain stimulation, combining EEG measures with behavioral assessments to investigate the relationship between neural oscillations and attentional performance. Outside the lab, she is a cat lover and fitness enthusiast who enjoys good company, lively conversations, and spending time with friends.

simay.alptekin@medipol.edu.tr

Furkan Erdal

furkan.erdal@std.medipol.edu.tr

Hassan Hassanpour

Hassan Hassanpour is a PhD student in Neuroscience. He completed his Bachelor’s degree in Psychology and earned a Master’s degree in Clinical Psychology, conducting his thesis on EEG oscillatory changes during arithmetic processing. His current research focuses on healthy aging, subjective cognitive decline (SCD), and the impact of cardiovascular risk factors on cognitive status. His methodological interests include non-invasive brain stimulation techniques, such as tDCS, tACS, and TMS, as well as neurofeedback interventions. Alongside his research, he has worked as a psychotherapist with an orientation toward experiential and psychodynamic therapies.

hassanhassanpour@std.medipol.edu.tr

Aziz Akkaya

Aziz is a PhD student in the Neuroscience PhD program, where he studies neural oscillations in response to speech, with a particular focus on how the brain tracks rhythmic structure in language. More broadly, he wants to understand the dynamics of the brain in the time domain. Before joining the program, he earned an MA in Cognitive Science and a BA in Psychology from Boğaziçi University, writing his thesis on the relationship between syntax and musical rhythm. Outside the lab, he is something of an intellectual wanderer, reading widely in philosophy, religion, and history.

aziz.akkaya@std.medipol.edu.tr

Ayşenur Akan

Ayşenur Akan holds a B.A. in Psychology from Üsküdar University and an M.Sc. in Neuroscience from Medipol University. Her research focuses on cognitive electrophysiology, EEG biomarkers, and neural dynamics in neurodegenerative disorders. Outside her lab activities, she likes to capture all the cute cats of Istanbul and talk to them.

aysenur.akan@medipol.edu.tr

Yaren Varolgüneş

Yaren Varolgüneş graduated from the Department of Psychology at Istanbul University in 2023. She completed her Master’s degree in Neuroscience at Istanbul Medipol University in 2026. Her research focuses on time perception, neuromodulation and the oscillatory dynamics of cognitive processes in the brain. She continues to work in the Cognitive Neuroscience and EEG Laboratory under the supervision of Professor Bahar Güntekin.

yaren.varolgunes@medipol.edu.tr

Beyza Sevgili

Beyza Sevgili completed her undergraduate degree in Molecular Biology and Genetics at Necmettin Erbakan University, where she conducted research in cancer biology and astrobiology. She completed her M.S. in Neuroscience at Istanbul Medipol University under the supervision of Prof. Dr. Bahar Güntekin. She joined SABITA in 2024 and continues her research within the Güntekin Lab. Her research focuses on brain oscillations and behavior in neurodegenerative diseases, working with both human and animal models. She also studies the potential of neuromodulation methods to restore impaired brain connectivity.

beyza.sevgili@medipol.edu.tr

Nurten Kaya

Nurten Kaya graduated with a master’s degree in Clinical Psychology from FSMVU. She is currently pursuing a master’s degree in Neuroscience at Istanbul Medipol University, where she works in the Cognitive Neuroscience and EEG Laboratory. She also works as a researcher at SABITA investigating EEG-based cognitive processes. Her research interests include attention, memory, sleep, circadian rhythms, and the neural mechanisms underlying cognitive functions.

nurten.kaya1@medipol.edu.tr

Nezahat İrem Bayram

İrem Bayram graduated from Konya Food and Agriculture University with a bachelor’s degree in Psychology. During her undergraduate studies, she investigated the relationship between self-differentiation and obedience to authority, completing her thesis on this topic. She currently works as a researcher in the lab while pursuing her master’s degree, where she actively contributes to various academic projects. Her master’s thesis focuses on decision-making and neural entrainment. Outside of research, she likes doing various sports and discovering new foods.

nezahat.bayram@medipol.edu.tr

Şevval Teke

Şevval Teke received her BA degree in Psychology from Boğaziçi University. During her undergraduate studies, she took part in several research projects in the fields of cognitive and developmental psychology. In her senior year, she worked as an intern researcher on a TÜBİTAK-funded project titled “Retrospective Event Segmentation of Episodic Memory”, which examined the retrospective segmentation of previously encoded memories. She is currently pursuing her master’s degree in Neuroscience at Istanbul Medipol University and working in the Güntekin Lab under the supervision of Prof. Bahar Güntekin.

sevval.teke@std.medipol.edu.tr

Esra Kızıldemir

Esra Kızıldemir completed her undergraduate degree in Molecular Biology and Genetics at Ondokuz Mayıs University, where she developed an interest in microbiology and biotechnology. She is currently pursuing a master’s degree in Neuroscience at Istanbul Medipol University under the supervision of Prof. Dr. Bahar Güntekin. Her research interests include neuroscience and electrophysiological approaches to understanding brain function. Outside of her academic work, she enjoys going for walks and exploring new places.

esra.kizildemir@std.medipol.edu.tr

Yağmuray Düşgün

Yağmuray graduated from the Psychology undergraduate program at Istanbul Ticaret University and is currently continuing her education in the Neuroscience graduate program at Istanbul Medipol University. Her main interests and research areas focus on cognitive neuroscience, brain oscillations and EEG signal processing.

yagmuray.dusgun@std.medipol.edu.tr

Şule Gül Öztürk

Şule Gül holds a B.A. in Psychological Counseling and Guidance from Yeditepe University and an M.A. in Psychological Counseling from Yıldız Technical University. She is currently pursuing an M.Sc. in Neuroscience at Istanbul Medipol University and is a member of the Güntekin Lab, where she supports ongoing research activities. She has worked as a school counselor in private schools and continues to provide psychological counseling. Her research interests include the intersection of psychology, neuroscience, and art therapy. Outside academia, she is involved in her family’s art academy, plays the flute, and enjoys ceramics.

sule.gul@std.medipol.edu.tr

Enes Yanılmaz

Enes Yanılmaz is a master student in Neuroscience. He graduated with B.S. in Neuroscience from Temple University. His research interests include consciousness, neuromodulation and BCI interfaces.

enes.yanilmaz@medipol.edu.tr

Saba Eylül Özyurt

Eylül Özyurt graduated from Üsküdar University with a degree in Molecular Biology and Genetics and a minor in Psychology. She is currently pursuing a master’s degree in Neuroscience at Istanbul Medipol University. Her research interests include creativity, memory, and behavior. Outside of her academic work, she practices contemporary dance and enjoys crocheting, yoga, music, and art.

@medipol.edu.tr

Zeynep Apalı

Zeynep Apalı graduated from the Occupational Therapy undergraduate program at Istanbul Medipol University, where she developed an interest in understanding the cognitive mechanisms underlying human behavior and experience. She is currently pursuing her M.Sc. in Neuroscience at the same university. Her research interests include cognitive science and perception.

zeynep.apali@std.medipol.edu.tr