Hulya Torun

Knight Initiative for Brain Resilience Staff

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Dr. Torun is a postdoctoral researcher in the Knight Brain Resilience Laboratory, where she contributes to research focused on understanding brain resilience and aging. Her work involves identifying molecular pathways for the aging brain by combining multi-modal omics approaches and AI.

Hulya earned her PhD in biomedical sciences and engineering, conducting her thesis research at both Koc University and Stanford University. Her PhD focused on developing liquid biopsy techniques using Surface-Enhanced Raman Spectroscopy (SERS) combined with extracellular vesicles and AI. 

She has expertise in AI-driven diagnostics, biosensing, and proteomics. Her interdisciplinary research approach integrates techniques from various fields to address complex biomedical challenges in the human brain.

Before joining the Knight laboratory, Hulya was a researcher at Stanford Medicine’s Radiology Department, specializing in developing diagnostic technologies for brain tumors. Her work has earned her several awards, patents, and publications, underscoring her commitment to advancing biomedical research.

Outside of her research, Hulya is a former professional volleyball player and a dancer. She enjoys spending her free time playing volleyball, dancing, practicing pilates, and hiking.