Prof. Pınar Yurdakul Mesutoğlu

Pınar Yurdakul-Mesutoğlu (Assoc Prof) was born in Ankara in 1978. She graduated from Hacettepe University Faculty of Sciences in 1996. She then gained her Master’s Degree from Hacettepe University Faculty of Medicine Department of Clinical Microbiology where she also worked as a full time Research Assistant. Her Masters Research was about “Investigation of embB codon 306 mutations in ethambutol resistant Mycobacterium tuberculosis strains by PCR and FRET methods". She started her PhD thesis at the same department in 2002. During her PhD Research she did get a scholarship from “The Scientific and Technological Research Council of Turkey” (TUBITAK) where she joined Paul Kaye’s laboratory in Hull York Medical School, England. Yurdakul-Mesutoğlu conducted research about "Investigation of The Role of Matrix metalloproteinase-9 (Gelatinase B) Enzyme In The Spleen During The Course of Experimental Visceral Leishmaniasis", mainly working on animal models through the years 2006-2007 in Department of Infection and Immunity. She gained her PhD degree in 2008 and continued her Researcher position at the same department until 2013. From 2013 through 2016 she worked as the Microbiology Specialist as well as the Quality Control Manager of Ankara University Faculty of Medicine Cord Blood Bank. She gained her Associate Professor degree in 2015 and started her Teaching Staff position at TOBB Economy and Technology University Faculty of Medicine Department of Medical Microbiology thoroughout the years 2016-2020. Her main microbiology research focuses on molecular characterization of Mycobacterium tuberculosis drug resistance, biofilms in the oral environment and immunopathogenesis of Leishmaniasis. In addition to her main field, Dr Yurdakul-Mesutoğlu is interested in cord blood banking, including microbiology of cord blood, cord blood transplantation, hematopoietic stem cell expansion and NK based immunotherapy as well as quality control and accreditation processes. She has contributed to many national/international papers. She has worked at over 15 Scientific Projects both as the Principal Investigator and as a researcher. She is a member of Istınye University Faculty of Medicine, Department of Clinical Microbiology since September 1, 2020.