New Grant / Dr. Büşra Züleyha Doğan has received the FENS-IBRO/PERC Fellowship
FENS-IBRO/PERC Fellowship Awarded to Dr. Doğan: Establishing an Advanced In Vivo Neural Recording Platform at SABITA
Dr. Büşra Züleyha Doğan, a PhD candidate in Medical Physiology at the Research Institute for Health Sciences and Technologies (SABITA), Istanbul Medipol University, has been awarded the prestigious FENS-IBRO/PERC Exchange Fellowship for her project titled “Feeding-State Dependent Hypothalamic Neural Activity Measurements Using In Vivo Electrophysiological and Optical Methods.” Hosted at Neuro-Electronics Research Flanders (NERF), KU Leuven, Belgium, the project integrates molecular neuroscience with systems-level neural recording technologies.
The research aims to investigate how feeding states—fasted versus satiated—modulate intracellular neuronal activity in hypothalamic circuits that regulate energy metabolism. To address this question, the study combines in vivoelectrophysiological techniques with optical imaging modalities.
During her three-month research stay at NERF, Dr. Doğan will receive advanced hands-on training in intracranial surgery, calcium imaging, fiber photometry, and high-density neural recordings using next-generation probes in freely moving mice. The data collected during this period will form the foundation for the in vivo component of her doctoral dissertation.
Technology Transfer to Türkiye
Upon completion of her training, Dr. Doğan will implement the acquired expertise and methodologies at SABITA. While a fiber photometry system is already in place, efforts are currently underway to establish a high-density in vivoelectrophysiology platform. This infrastructure will enable the integration of chemogenetic manipulation of redox signaling with simultaneous fiber photometry and multi-channel electrophysiological recordings.
Assoc. Prof. Muhammed İkbal Alp, Dr. Doğan‘s doctoral advisor, emphasized the importance of this achievement, stating:
“This fellowship marks a significant step toward bridging molecular and systems neuroscience. The technical knowledge Dr. Doğan will bring back will not only support her doctoral work but will also allow the development of a unique multimodal platform capable of simultaneously tracking redox dynamics and neural activity in vivo—a potential first in the field. This initiative will strengthen Türkiye’s neuroscience research capabilities and foster enduring international collaborations.”
The FENS-IBRO/PERC Exchange Fellowship is a highly competitive European program that supports early-career neuroscientists through advanced methodological training and international research exchange opportunities.