Lab Members
Principal Investigator
Gozde Durmus, PhD
Assistant Professor of Radiology
Molecular Imaging Program at Stanford
gdurmus@stanford.edu
Dr. Gozde Durmus is an Assistant Professor of Radiology at Stanford University School of Medicine. She conducted her postdoctoral research at Stanford; working with Prof. Ronald W. Davis at the Stanford Genome Technology Center. She received her Ph.D. degree in Biomedical Engineering from Brown University in May 2013, with a minor in Innovation Management and Entrepreneurship. She is also an alumna of the Ignite Program at the Stanford University Graduate School of Business. She was a Fulbright Scholar at Boston University and received her M.Eng. degree in Biomedical Engineering as a College of Engineering Fellow in 2009. She received her B.S. degree in Molecular Biology and Genetics from Middle East Technical University (METU) in 2007. She has been recently recognized among the "Top Innovators Under 35" (TR35) by the MIT Technology Review. She received the Career Award at Scientific Interface from Burroughs Wellcome Fund (BWF-CASI) in 2018. She has been named as a "Rising Star in Biomedicine" by Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard. Recently, Dr. Durmus has received major research awards, such as the Moore Inventor Fellow, Baxter Faculty Scholar Award and Koret Foundation Catalyst Award.Dr. Durmus has authored papers in journals including Nature Materials, PNAS, Advanced Materials. Her work was highlighted in Science, New Scientist, Popular Mechanics, American Institute of Physics (AIP) News, Tech Times. Her research achievements have been recognized with ITI Young Investigator Award from Stanford University, STAR Award Honorable Mention by the Society for Biomaterials, Graduate Student Recognition Award from Brown University, Entrepreneurial Fellowship from National Science Foundation (NSF) & Slater Technology Fund and Fulbright Scholarship. She was also a finalist for the national CIMIT Student Technology Prize for Primary Healthcare in 2012.
Lab Members
Sena Yaman
Postdoctoral Scholar
Durmus Lab: September 2021 - Present
yamans@stanford.edu
Sena Yaman is a postdoctoral researcher at the Durmus Lab, focusing on the development of low-cost, portable biosensing systems that enable the precise detection of biomolecules and cells. Her research also extends to immunoassay development using microfluidic platforms, 3D printing, and the integration of polymer microspheres and magnetic nanoparticles into biosensing systems. At Stanford, her work aims to improve early cancer detection and diagnostics, including isolating circulating tumor cells and extracellular vesicles from blood, generating 3D cellular aggregates, and developing aptamer-based virus detection assays. Sena aspires to design diagnostic tools that make healthcare more accessible and affordable. Before joining Stanford, she earned her Ph.D. in Bioengineering from Izmir Institute of Technology and her M.S. in Biotechnology from Middle East Technical University. During her doctoral studies, she worked on cost-effective biosensing tools and a 3D-printed single-cell imaging platform using magnetic levitation. Outside of her research, Sena embraces her love for music—whether singing with a Stanford choral ensemble or learning new pieces on the piano.
Suraj Pavagada
Postdoctoral Scholar
Durmus Lab: April 2024 - Present
surajpg@stanford.edu
Suraj Pavagada is a postdoctoral scholar at the Department of Radiology at Stanford University. His research focuses on exploiting magnetic levitation-based techniques for applications in point-of-care medical diagnostics. Suraj received his PhD in Oncology from the University of Cambridge (24’), where he developed a new bioelectronic cell enrichment platform utilizing altered glycosylation patterns for the early detection of esophageal cancer. With a background in electrochemistry, surface functionalization, liquid biopsy, and molecular diagnostics, he is passionate about developing portable sensor technologies that can be translated into the clinic to facilitate timely diagnosis and monitoring.
Ibrahim Kecoglu
PhD Student
Durmus Lab: June 2025-Present
ikecoglu@stanford.edu
Ibrahim Kecoglu is a PhD student in the Biomedical Physics program at Stanford University School of Medicine. His research focuses on leveraging photonics and magnetic levitation to develop label-free, rapid, and accurate tools for sorting and characterizing microliter-scale biological samples, with applications ranging from pathogen detection to early cancer diagnostics via nanoscale vesicle analysis. Beyond experimental biophysics, Ibrahim’s work spans computational imaging, machine learning-based and data-driven diagnostics, and computational modeling to study cellular dynamics under magnetic fields. He holds dual B.S. degrees in Physics and Mathematics from Bogazici University, where he conducted research in biomedical optics and theoretical condensed matter physics.
Aria Gao
High School Student Intern
Durmus Lab: July 2024 - Present
Aria Gao became a member of the lab in July 2024. Currently a senior at The Nueva School in San Mateo, California, she has a strong interest in magnetic levitation and has participated in international physics competitions centered on magnetic research challenges. Notably, her team achieved third place at the United States Association Youth Physics Tournament. Beyond her academic pursuits, Aria is trained in the Vaganova style of ballet and has performed at the Vaganova Ballet Academy in Saint Petersburg, Russia.
Alfa Ozaltin
High School Student Intern
Durmus Lab: 2024 - Present
Nil Ertok
High School Student Intern
Durmus Lab: 2024 - Present