Batu Erman '91, a molecular biologist from Turkey, has won the Marie Curie Excellence award from the European Commission for his work on cancer and AIDS. Erman, an assistant professor at Sabanci University, won the award for "his contribution to the fight against cancer and AIDS." His research is on "Molecular Biological Targeting of T Lymphocyte Signal Transduction and Development."
Erman's studies the receptors that control the development, survival and function of T lymphocytes known as "killer T-cells." When the signals go wrong, the cells survive and proliferate, resulting in diseases of the immune system. He aims to detect the signal of blood cells against bacteria and germs and determine vegetable proteins to strengthen these signals. Erman's goal is to develop a drug to produce these proteins.
Marie Curie Excellence Awards seek to give public recognition to outstanding past achievements of scientists who have reached a level of exceptional excellence in their given field. It is awarded to only five scientists each year. Erman is the first Turkish scientist to win this award.
Erman lived in Turkey until he came to the United States to attend Hamilton. In an interview with Cordis News, he said he was drawn to Hamilton "by the prospect of a liberal arts style education," which allowed him to follow courses in subjects like sociology and anthropology alongside biology. "That kind of education was not possible in Turkey at that time," he told CORDIS News, adding that the situation is different now, and that these kinds of courses "greatly enhance the quality of education."
Erman majored in biochemistry and molecular biology at Hamilton and graduated in 1991. He spent a year at Oxford University before embarking on his Ph.D. at Brandeis University. Erman subsequently spent six years on postdoctoral research at the US National Institute of Health (NIH) where he was noted as a superb scientist with an extremely broad repertoire of experimental expertise including molecular biology, cell biology and immunology.
Erman received the award from Janes Potocnik, EU Commissioner for Science and Research, during a ceremony held in Brussels on March 12.
Erman's studies the receptors that control the development, survival and function of T lymphocytes known as "killer T-cells." When the signals go wrong, the cells survive and proliferate, resulting in diseases of the immune system. He aims to detect the signal of blood cells against bacteria and germs and determine vegetable proteins to strengthen these signals. Erman's goal is to develop a drug to produce these proteins.
Marie Curie Excellence Awards seek to give public recognition to outstanding past achievements of scientists who have reached a level of exceptional excellence in their given field. It is awarded to only five scientists each year. Erman is the first Turkish scientist to win this award.
Erman lived in Turkey until he came to the United States to attend Hamilton. In an interview with Cordis News, he said he was drawn to Hamilton "by the prospect of a liberal arts style education," which allowed him to follow courses in subjects like sociology and anthropology alongside biology. "That kind of education was not possible in Turkey at that time," he told CORDIS News, adding that the situation is different now, and that these kinds of courses "greatly enhance the quality of education."
Erman majored in biochemistry and molecular biology at Hamilton and graduated in 1991. He spent a year at Oxford University before embarking on his Ph.D. at Brandeis University. Erman subsequently spent six years on postdoctoral research at the US National Institute of Health (NIH) where he was noted as a superb scientist with an extremely broad repertoire of experimental expertise including molecular biology, cell biology and immunology.
Erman received the award from Janes Potocnik, EU Commissioner for Science and Research, during a ceremony held in Brussels on March 12.
