About me

I grew up in Ankara, Türkiye, and attended college there in METU on its beautiful, green campus - which is a safe haven in Ankara’s dry climate! Throughout my college years, I spent most of time exploring coffee shops, trying out different art forms like photography and drawing, and reading lots of literature and fiction.

After the early years of exploring in university, I realized that my long-standing interest in developmental psychology is deeply rooted in my curiosity in the origins of our thought, specifically the roots of our cognitive abilities. My interest in cognitive science grew stronger after the semester I spent in the University of California - San Diego in Fall 2015 (where I met one of my best friends). I was lucky to work with brilliant people both in METU and in Koç University during my undergrad years, before applying for graduate school in the US. I continue to meet so many amazing scientists. When I started college studying psychology, I was just thinking about learning more about the mind, and wasn’t really thinking about careers, let alone one in science. Now, I get to explore what kind of early cognitive capacities we are endowed with, and how different cognitive systems interact!

I’m a super amateur hiker, and am trying to incorporate it into my life a lot more - I love being outside especially when the weather is cool and crisp! I like reading and baking, love them even more when combined. :)