Assist. Prof. Deniz Duralı

Deniz Duralı obtained his MD degree from Istanbul University Cerrahpasa Medical Faculty in 1995. He earned his MSc degree in Immunology from Paris V René Descartes University in 1997 with his comparative research of epitopes presented by HLA-A11 and recognized by anti-HIV T lymphocytes. He conducted this research between 1996-1997 as a grantee of French National Agency of AIDS Research (ANRS) in Dr. Elisabeth GOMARD’s team in French National Institute of Health and Medical Research (INSERM) Unit 445 “Immunology Laboratory of Infectious and Tumoral Pathologies at Cochin Institute of Molecular Genetics (Cochin Hospital, Paris). Besides his master’s project, in the same context, he investigated the cross-reaction of HIV-1B (the HIV-1 subtype dominant in Europe) specific CTL response to HIV-1A subgroup antigens which were dominant in Africa. Dr. Durali performed his Immunology PhD thesis from 1997 to 2003, aiming to determine IL-12 receptor signalization pathways and IFN-gamma synthesis in human B lymphocytes. This study was conducted in Prof. Jean-François DELFRAISSY’s team, the supervisor being Dr. Yassine TAOUFIK in INSERM E109 “Systemic and Cerebral Anti-viral Immunity Laboratory in South Paris University Faculty of Medicine, (Kremlin-Bicetre University Hospital, Paris). He obtained his Immunology PhD degree from Paris V Rene Descartes University in 2003 with the best grade and congratulations of the jury. The theme of his post-doctoral research between 2003-2004 was the role of IL-15 in the control of NK cell differentiation from CD34+ hematopoietic precursors. This study was performed in Dr. Bruno AZZARONE’s INSERM U542 Epithelial Grafts and Lymphocytic Activity Laboratory in Hospital Paul Brousse, South Paris University, Villejuif. Then he conducted his second post-doctoral research between 2004-2006 studying the effect of IFN-alfa on Be1/Be2 differentiation in human B lymphocytes again in Dr. Yassine TAOUFIK’s team where he previously worked for his PhD thesis in INSERM U-1012 Immuneregulation of the Immune Response in HIV-1 Infection and in Autoimmunity Laboratory, South Paris University Faculty of Medicine, (Kremlin-Bicetre University Hospital, Paris).

After returning back to Turkey, he respectively worked in Istanbul University Institute of Experimental Medicine Department of Immunology and Gulhane Military Medical Academy (GATA) Department of Immunology as specialist scientist. Then he continued to work for 5 years as senior researcher and responsible of Vaccine Technology Laboratory in TUBITAK Marmara Research Center, Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology Institute. The theme of his reserach was the investigation of effects and molecular mechanisms of therapeutic immunizations on cellular immunity in an environment where tolerance to HBV antigens has developed in the aim of therapeutic vaccine development.

He is currently an assistant professor in the Department of Microbiology at Istanbul Medipol University School of Medicine and leading the immune regulation and vaccinology research group and the Immunology Research Laboratory.

Dr. Duralı’s research interests at Istanbul Medipol University has two main focuses as fundamental and translational research. His main research area is the study of the development and maintenance of cellular immune memory, especially the role of B cells in this process and the immune response to viruses. The long-term goal is to understand the mechanisms of immunological memory and to use this information to develop new more efficient vaccines for the prevention and treatment of diseases. Currently, his team is working on influenza vaccine.