4 December 2024 – When Erdinc Sezgin thinks of EMBO, he thinks of a big family — one that thrives on collaboration rather than competition. Having been an EMBO Postdoctoral Fellow and a member of the Scientific Exchange Grants Advisory Board, Sezgin has experienced first-hand the synergy that EMBO fosters among scientists. Now, as a newly selected member of the EMBO Young Investigator Programme, he is excited to bring new collaboration opportunities to his lab. He also values the training opportunities EMBO offers. “I and many of my postdoctoral researchers joined the EMBO lab leadership course for postdoctoral researchers, and I am looking forward to the EMBO lab leadership course for principal investigators,” he says.
Sezgin’s work lies at the intersection of physics, chemistry and biology, with a focus on the immune system. His lab investigates the physical properties that drive immune cell activity, asking what makes some immune cells more reactive than others from a physical perspective. Often overlooked, these properties could change our understanding of immunity and inform strategies to improve responses to pathogens and diseases such as cancer.
Sezgin’s career has been shaped by his passion for interdisciplinary science. Trained in genetics and bioengineering, he studied biophysics at the Dresden International PhD Program before diving into immunology during his postdoctoral research at the University of Oxford. This blend of expertise now drives his vision for an interdisciplinary research network, and for him, being part of the EMBO Young Investigator Programme is a chance to connect with top scientists and build an international “research ecosystem” to advance biophysics in medicine.