Burcin Ikiz Ph.D.

Burcin Ikiz, Ph.D., (she/her) is a neuroscientist, science writer, and consultant based in Los Angeles. Her last name means "twin" in Turkish, which is fitting because she has an identical twin sister.

Burcin has over ten years of research experience in neurodegenerative diseases and is passionate about enabling and communicating scientific discoveries in this field. She also independently writes for popular science outlets and consults for biotech companies.

Previously, Burcin has initiated motor neuron disease research efforts at Regeneron Pharmaceuticals and led preclinical development for several biotech startups. She got her B.Sc. in Biomedical Computation from Stanford University and Ph.D. in Neurobiology from Columbia University.

She believes that science should be accessible and inclusive to everyone. In her writings, she aims to translate biomedical research into meaningful stories for the public. She regularly contributes to Stanford’s Institute for Human-Centered Artificial Intelligence blog. Her writings have also appeared in Massive Science, Nutribites, Salon, Mother Mag, and Thrive Global. Her personal science stories have been featured in The Story Collider and The Xylom.

Burcin is dedicated to promoting science education and careers and advocating for equity, diversity, and inclusion in STEM. She is an ambassador for the New York Academy of Sciences and volunteers for various organizations that support and empower womxn scientists from underrepresented backgrounds.

Besides her interests in science and biomedicine, she enjoys salsa dancing, street photography, and spending time in nature with her family. In 2019, she completed a 6-month artist residency at Ten Women Gallery in Santa Monica.

She considers sleep as a serious hobby she would like to invest more time in since her two little children and affectionate puppy do not allow her to get much of it.