VOLKAN UZUNGIL

Highly successful PhD graduate in neuroscience with extensive data science experience. Detail orientated and motivated individual with experimental and analytical data analysis research expertise. Engaged in projects in the design and implementation of novel biotechnology tools through academic and industrial collaboration. Excellent independent project management skills and ability to collaborate in a variably skilled team.

Data and quantitative analysis

• Graph theory of neural networks
• Hierarchical clustering of functional networks
• Data bootstrapping
• Novel scripts for machine learning and automation
• Dimensionality reduction
• Behavioural biostatistics and models
• Linear model and linear mixed models
• High-throughput sequencing analysis
• Complex data visualisation using programming languages
• Photomicrographs image processing using ImageJ

Laboratory skills

• Cognitive, stress and reward related rodent behavioural paradigms
• Rodent husbandry, breeding and cohort maintenance
• Intraperitoneal and subcutaneous rodent injections
• End of life processes for tissue collection
• Pharmacology of drug molecular characteristics
• Pharmacodynamics and pharmacokinetics
• Molecular bioassay eg. ELISA, RT-qPCR, Western Blot
• Immunohistochemistry
• Bright-field and epifluorescence microscopy
• Proteomics/phosphoproteomics protocol

Soft skills

• Scientific communication via oral presentations to experts, general researchers, lawyers and public
• Extensive scientific and academic writing resulting in journal publication
• Training, team coordination and mentorship of students, research assistants and interns
• Independence in leading scientific project and project management
• Collaboration between experts in various fields and organisations

Intersectoral skills

• Intellectual property and patent landscape for novel therapy and associated legal process
• Developing an Opportunity Assessment for venture capital funding
• Maintaining project for intersectoral collaboration between with academics and industry partners
• Academic research commercialisation via development of product
• Customer Development Model for product optimisation
• Conducting customer interviews to determine market demand
• Pitching product for venture capital funding
• Developing a quantitative measure of market demand and the research commercilisation workflow

Coding in programming languages (in order of proficiency)

• R
• MATLAB
• Python
• ImageJ

2020 Australasian Neuroscience Society (ANS) – Forum of European Neuroscience Societies (FENS) Early Career Researcher Travel Award

2020 Three Minute Thesis (3MT) University of Melbourne Finalist

2020 Jared Franklin Purton Postgraduate Prize (for schizophrenia and related disorders)

2019 Biological Psychiatry Australia (BPA) Student Travel Award

2017 Australian Government Research Training Program Scholarship

Uzungil V., Mees I., Li S., Hannan T. & Renoir T. (2022) “Glutamatergic and cytoskeletal protein phosphorylation associated with the antidepressant-like properties of the iron chelator deferiprone in a mouse model of depression, Pharmacological Research (peer review)

Uzungil V., Aitken C., Tran H., Li S., Payet J.M., Hale M.W., Hannan A.J. & Renoir T. (2022) “Novel antidepressant-like properties of the iron chelator deferiprone in a mouse model of depression”, Neurotherapeutics. https://doi.org/10.1007/s13311-022-01257-0

Gubert C., Kong G., Uzungil V., Zeleznikow-Johnston A., Burrows E.L., Renoir T. & Hannan T. (2020) “Microbiome Profiling Reveals Gut Dysbiosis in the Metabotropic Glutamate Receptor 5 Knockout Mouse Model of Schizophrenia”, Front. Cell Dev. Biol. 8:582320. https://doi.org/10.3389/fcell.2020.582320

Uzungil V., Mees I., Li S., Hannan T. & Renoir T. (2022) “Glutamatergic and cytoskeletal protein phosphorylation associated with the antidepressant-like properties of the iron chelator deferiprone in a mouse model of depression”, Federation of European Neuroscience Societies Forum. Paris, France – Poster.

Uzungil V., Aitken C., Li S., Payet J., Hale M., Hannan T. & Renoir T. (2020) “Effect of deferiprone on the serotonin transporter knockout mouse model of depression”, Biological Psychiatry Australia Conference.Virtual – Oral.

Uzungil V., Li S., Hanan T. & Renoir T. (2019) “Deferiprone as a novel therapeutic for major depressive disorder”, Australasian Neuroscience Society Conference. Adelaide, Australia – Poster.

Uzungil V., Li S., Hanan T. & Renoir T. (2019) “Deferiprone as a novel therapeutic for major depressive disorder”, Biological Psychiatry Australia Conference. Melbourne, Australia – Poster.

Uzungil V., Li S., Hanan T. & Renoir T. (2019) “Deferiprone as a novel therapeutic for major depressive disorder”, Students of Brain Research Symposium. Melbourne, Australia – Poster.

2020 Biological Psychiatry Australia Early Career Researchers Network (BPA-ECRN) University of Melbourne and Florey Institute Representative

• Organising committee for 2020 Biological Psychiatry Australia Conference

2018 Students of the Florey Institute (SOFI) Vice-President

2020-2021 Mentorship Melbourne Interdisciplinary Students Society of Neuroscience (MISSiON)

2018-2020 Mentorship of Honours and Masters Students at the Florey Institute

2019 Mindfields and Galen College High School Student Visits

• Monthly visits from high school students where I presented my research and career path to encourage engagement in research in an entertaining accessible manner

2018 Pint of Science Volunteer Team Member

• Organise and manage event where community can engage with breakthroughs in research in an informal setting to encourage scientific engagement

Prof. Anthony Hannan, The Florey Institute of Neuroscience and Mental Health, University of Melbourne, Victoria, Australia.

T: +61390356638 E:anthony.hannan@florey.edu.au

Prof. Andrew Lawrence, The Florey Institute of Neuroscience and Mental Health, University of Melbourne, Victoria, Australia.

T: +61 3 9035 6692 E: andrew.lawrence@florey.edu.au

Prof. Ian Cooke, Monash University, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia.

E: Ian.Cooke@monash.edu.au