Burak Tan

Designation:
Associate Professor
Department:
Physiology
University:
Erciyes University
Country:
Turkey
Email: Journal Associated: Journal of Neurology, Neurological Science and Disorders Biography:

He was born on 14.07.1988 in Konya. He completed his primary education at Barbaros Primary School and his secondary education at Selçuklu Atatürk High School. He graduated from Dumlupınar University, Biology Department in 2012. In the same year, he started working as a research assistant at Erciyes University, Faculty of Medicine, Department of Physiology. He completed his master's (2012-2015) and doctorate (2015-2019) education in the same department. He was appointed as Assistant Professor at Erciyes University, Faculty of Medicine, Department of Physiology in 2021 and he still continues his duty. He was entitled to receive the title of associate professor in August 2024. He conducts studies in the field of neuroscience, has experience in electrophysiology, behavioral experiments and molecular techniques.

His master's and doctoral studies (including his thesis studies), researcher Burak Tan gained experience on testing learning/memory functions (such as Morris water maze), recording of hippocampal learning/memory-related synaptic plasticity using electrophysiological recording methods and gained experience with various molecular methods (western-blot, immunohistochemistry, immunufluorrence, ELISA and rt-PCR) to conduct molecular studies in the hippocampus where plasticity was induced after recording procedures. Although he did not directly study a neurodegenerative disease model in his studies, he generally focused on the phosphorylation of Tau protein, one of the proteins that plays a major role in neurodegeneration. He showed that the phosphorylation level of Tau protein in rats with hypothyroidism and hyperthyroidism models and especially the increased Tau phosphorylation accompanying impaired synaptic plasticity responses in hypothyroid rats could be reversible with Akt activator "SC79". Akt is a protein located in the PI3K-Akt-GSK3B pathway, whose activity is impaired in the development of neurodegeneration. The activity of this pathway causes neurodegeneration, especially in the brain exposed to glutamate excitotoxicity, as a result of changes in its activity.

The data obtained from the master's thesis study (PMID: 33576121, PMID: 33481209) revealed new molecular targets in the treatment of clinical conditions in which hormonal changes such as hyperthyroidism are accompanied by learning and memory disorders. Thus, the findings obtained from the master's thesis study contributed to the accumulation of knowledge in this field.

The data obtained from the doctoral thesis study (PMID: 31069661) contributed to the elucidation of this mechanism of action with electrophysiological and molecular studies in the effect of hypothyroidism and hyperthyroidism on the hippocampal metaplasticity process. Thus, new molecular targets can be revealed in the treatment of clinical conditions in which hormonal changes are accompanied by disorders in metaplasticity responses. The findings obtained from the study also contributed to the accumulation of knowledge in this field. The results obtained have helped to explain the mechanism of cognitive disorders affecting the quality of life in commonly seen hypothyroidism and hyperthyroidism conditions and have revealed new molecular targets in the treatment of clinical conditions accompanied by these cognitive disorders.

Research Interest: Neurodegeneration, Basic neuroscience, Neuronal electrophysiology, Neuroplasticity, Cognitive neuroscience, Hippocampal learning and memory

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