I graduated from Sabanci University in 2022 and am currently pursuing a PhD in Materials Science at Duke University. Alongside my PhD, I am earning a master's degree in Computer Science. I am fortunate to be advised by Professor Cate Brinson. My undergraduate studies provided me with interdisciplinary research experience at the intersection of materials science, computer science, and biology, sparking my interest in applying AI to scientific challenges. As part of Duke's AI for Understanding and Designing Materials program, I am part of a diverse community passionate about interdisciplinary science.
Q: What motivates you?
A: I am driven by the goal of creating workflows that enhance the efficiency of scientific discoveries. Developing tools that enable scientists to uncover insights more quickly and effectively excites me. The transformative potential of AI and large language models (LLMs) in scientific research keeps me motivated as I contribute to this rapidly evolving field.
Q: Can you summarize your research area?
A: My research focuses on the application of multimodal large language models (LLMs) in science, particularly for knowledge extraction, question answering, and reasoning. I work on extracting complex information from various scientific data sources—such as charts, tables, and text—by creating both human-annotated and synthetic datasets. My aim is to automate insight extraction from scientific articles at scale, building comprehensive knowledge graphs and databases to accelerate discoveries. Additionally, I explore machine learning applications for predicting materials properties.
Q: What's your favorite part of research?
A: Sharing my research interests with others is one of my favorite aspects of research. Participating in hackathons focused on LLMs for Science has been particularly rewarding, allowing me to collaborate with inspiring individuals from both industry and academia. Conferences and workshops invigorate me as they provide opportunities to exchange ideas, connect with peers, and discover new applications for my work.