Ela Turhan is a Year 11 student at Canberra Narrabundah College IB DP in Australia. She actively seeks opportunities to expand her knowledge and develop new skills.
Before joining CCIR Academy, Ela participated in the Biostatistics and Bioinformatics Summer Program at the University of California San Diego. She received a full-ride scholarship through the Inamori Scholarship. During the programme, she explored experimental design, descriptive statistics, and biostatistics fundamentals. She also studied gene expression data management, multivariate analysis, and bioinformatics concepts and databases.
Academic Interests and Community Involvement
Beyond academics, Ela has dedicated time to teaching and community service. Through SocialBen (e-SosyalBen), she led music and creative writing workshops for children. She also taught a music workshop in the digital area for four months.
Ela further supported children in disadvantaged areas by teaching STEM classes through the SEY Foundation (Semra & Enver Yücel Foundation).
Her community involvement also includes international events. She spoke at the International Cinema and Youth Congress (ICAY) 2020 about the Sustainable Development Goals. In addition, she helped organise the CHILD-UNICEF Child Rights Seminar for students at Eskisehir Bahcesehir High School in Turkey.
Research on Staphylococcus aureus
At CCIR Academy, Ela conducted a research project titled “The Phylogenetic Diversity and Prevalence of Enterotoxin and Antibiotic Resistance Genes in Staphylococcus aureus.”
Her study explored the evolutionary adaptations of Staphylococcus aureus in populations containing enterotoxin genes. She also examined antibiotic resistance genes in these populations.
This research helps explore the pathogenic potential of Staphylococcus aureus. It also highlights the importance of monitoring enterotoxin-associated gastrointestinal diseases.
Sharing Her Research Journey
Ela shared her research insights in an episode of CCIR Academy Student Spotlights. She discussed her research journey and expressed gratitude for the guidance she received from her professor and the CCIR Academy.
Congratulations to Ela on her research achievement!
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