Munir Akkaya, MD, DPhil
Dr Munir Akkaya received his MD degree from Hacettepe University, Turkey, in 2007 and his D.Phil (PhD) degree from the University of Oxford in 2012. During his undergraduate education, he was awarded a Scholarship of Honor from the Scientific and Technological Research Council of Turkey and a Merit Scholarship from Hacettepe University. The Medical Research Council of the United Kingdom funded his doctorate education. His D.Phil thesis, which he prepared under the supervision of Dr Neil Barclay, focused on the regulation of immune responses through interactions of the CD200R family of leukocyte surface molecules. He also explored how various pathogens acquire ligands of inhibitory receptors for immune evasion. For postdoctoral training, Dr Akkaya joined the research group of Dr Susan Pierce at NIAID and undertook projects related to B cell biology and immunometabolism. His research at NIH characterised novel mechanisms through which TLR signalling can influence B cell survival and differentiation. Besides his work on B cell biology, he is interested in host-pathogen interactions in the context of Plasmodium infections in malaria. Dr Akkaya is a recipient of the Milstein Young Investigator Award from the International Cytokine and Interferon Society, the ThermoFisher Trainee Achievement award from the American Association of Immunologists and the Fellows Award for Research Excellence from NIH and Dr Benvenuto Pernis Memorial Junior Trainee award from FASEB. He is currently working as an assistant professor at the Ohio State University.