Meltem is a researcher and a psychiatry resident, MD. Her dedication to sleep research is profound, with her work exploring the intricate role of sleep in cognition, learning, and the complexities of psychiatric conditions such as psychosis. Her research includes studies investigating the impact of sleep spindles on cognition in schizophrenia, the glymphatic system in schizophrenia, and the effects of sleep on memory and learning.

Leveraging her clinical expertise and research acumen, Meltem examines the intricate connections between sleep, consciousness, and cognitive processes. She is deeply committed to advancing the understanding of sleep’s essential functions and aspires to build a research-driven career that seamlessly integrates clinical insights into sleep science.

Education

• Research Fellow | McLean Hospital, Harvard University

• Psychiatry Residency | Bakırköy Psychiatric Hospital, Istanbul

• MD in Medicine | Koç University, School of Medicine, Istanbul

• Exchange Trainee in Sleep and Circadian Neurophysiology | Vrapce Psychiatric Clinic, Zagreb

• Research Assistant | Koç University, School of Medicine, Istanbul

• Research Assistant | OncoRay, University Hospital Carl Gustav Carus, Dresden

• Research Assistant | MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas

Awards and Honors

• 2024 | 2214-A International Research Fellowship Grant, The Scientific and Technological Research Council of Turkey (TÜBİTAK)

• 2024 | Research Award, 9th Psychiatry Summit & 16th Anxiety Congress

• 2022 | Public Choice Poster Award, 35th Congress of European College of Neuropsychopharmacology (ECNP)

• 2022 | Excellence Awards (2), 35th Congress of European College of Neuropsychopharmacology (ECNP)

• 2022 | Research Project Incentive Award, 1st International & 25th National Clinical Education Symposium, Psychiatric Association of Turkey (KES)

• 2021 | Research Award, Interactive Psychiatry Education Congress (IPEK)

• 2021 | Public Choice Poster Award, 34th Congress of European College of Neuropsychopharmacology (ECNP)

• 2021 | Excellence Award, 34th Congress of European College of Neuropsychopharmacology (ECNP)

Selected Publications

• Sen, Meltem, Umit Haluk Yesilkaya, and Demir Tonguc Berkol. “A Rare Clinical Finding Associated with Very Low–Dose Clozapine: Pisa Syndrome.” American Journal of Therapeutics (2021)

• Sen, Meltem, Umit Haluk Yesilkaya, and Yasin Hasan Balcioglu. “SARS-CoV-2-associated first episode of acute mania with psychotic features.” Journal of Clinical Neuroscience (2021)

• Yesilkaya, Umit Haluk, Sakir Gica, Mehmet Cem Ilnem, Meltem Sen, and Derya Ipekcioglu. “Evaluation of IGF-1 as a novel theranostic biomarker for schizophrenia.” Journal of Psychiatric Research (2021)

• Yesilkaya, Umit Haluk, Meltem Sen, and Yasin Hasan Balcioglu. “COVID-19-related cognitive dysfunction may be associated with transient disruption in the DLPFC glutamatergic pathway.” Journal of Clinical Neuroscience (2021)

• Yeşilkaya, Ümit Haluk, Meltem Şen, Yasin Hasan Balcıoğlu, Hasan Gökçay, Pınar Çelikkıran, Simge Kırlıoğlu Balcıoğlu, and Nesrin Karamustafalıoğlu. “Evaluation of the Correlation Between Peripheral Inflammatory Markers and Suicide Risk in Drug-Naive First-Episode Schizophrenia.” Archives of Neuropsychiatry (2024)