Biological sex at the intersection of cancer-neuro-immune crosstalk

Dr. Defne Bayık is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Molecular and Cellular Pharmacology at the University of Miami/Sylvester Comprehensive Cancer Center. She earned her Ph.D. in Immunology from Bilkent University in collaboration with the National Cancer Institute. Dr. Bayık’s postdoctoral work at Cleveland Clinic demonstrated that males have a higher incidence of brain tumors and worse disease outcomes, highlighting sex differences in myeloid-derived suppressor cell subsets that influence glioblastoma prognosis and provide potential therapeutic opportunities.

Her research focuses on brain tumor immunotherapy, specifically targeting host-regulatory pathways to enhance treatment outcomes. Currently, Dr. Bayık aims to identify the mechanisms by which dipeptidyl peptidase 4 (DPP-4) regulates myeloid cell activity in glioblastoma and uncover sex-specific immune mechanisms driving brain tumors in males and females for personalized immunotherapies. Additionally, she investigates epigenetically regulated pathways shaping myeloid cell response in cancer, focusing on host and tumor-derived factors influencing their behavior. In 2022, she was awarded the Işıl Berat Barlan Early Career Researcher Award by the Turkish Immunology Society.