Adult tissue homeostasis is a persistent biological process that is critically important for maintaining organ function. During pathological conditions such as disease or injury, this homeostasis becomes disrupted, and various regenerative mechanisms are activated. Our research focuses on understanding how these processes are regulated within tissues and how they influence stem cell behavior. To gain deeper insights into tissue regeneration, we use the adult zebrafish as a model system.

Our main research topics are centered around two key areas:

• Understanding the regulatory mechanisms of adult brain neurogenesis
• Investigating how regenerative mechanisms operate in response to adult muscle atrophy

• Education
• Postdoctoral Fellow, 2022 - 2024 
  Ozhan Lab, Izmir Biomedicine and Genome Center, Izmir, Turkey
• Ph.D., Department of Molecular Biology and Genetics, 2015-2021
  Bogazici University, Istanbul , Turkey
• M.Sc., Developmental Biology, 2011-2014 
  Centre for Organismal Studies, Heidelberg University, Heidelberg, Germany
• B. Sc., Department of Molecular Biology and Genetics, 2006-2011
  Bogazici University, Istanbul , Turkey

1. Kocagöz Y, Söğünmez Erdoğan N, İpekgil D, Katkat E, Özhan G. Notum1a inhibition promotes neurogenesis in the adult zebrafish brain. FEBS J. (in submission) (2025) 
2. Kocagöz Y and Fuss SH. Neurogenesis in the Zebrafish Olfactory Epithelium in Response to Nuerotoxicity and Injury. Zebrafish Models of Neurodegenerative Disorders. Taylor & Francis (in publication) (2025) 
3. Sireci S, Kocagöz Y, Alkiraz AS, Güler K, Dokuzluoglu Z, Balcioglu E, Meydanli S, 
   Demirler MC, Erdogan NS, Fuss SH. HB-EGF promotes progenitor cell proliferation and sensory neuron regeneration in the zebrafish olfactory epithelium. FEBS J. 2023 Dec 13. 
4. Kocagöz Y., Demirler M. C., Eski, S. E., Güler K., Dokuzluoğlu Z., Fuss S.H. Disparate progenitor cell populations contribute to maintenance and repair neurogenesis in the zebrafish olfactory epithelium. Cell and Tissue Research Cell Tissue Res.2022 May;388(2):331-358.
5. Demirler, M. C., Sakizli, U., Bali, B., Kocagöz, Y., Eski, S. E., Ergönen, A., Alkiraz, A. S., Bayramli, X., Hassenklöver, T., Manzini, I., & Fuss, S. H. Purinergic signalling selectively modulates maintenance but not repair neurogenesis in the zebrafish olfactory epithelium. FEBS Journal, 287(13), 2699–2722 (2020) 
6. Bayramli, X., Kocagöz, Y., Sakizli, U., Fuss, S.H. Patterned Arrangements of Olfactory Receptor Gene Expression in Zebrafish are Established by Radial Movement of Specified Olfactory Sensory Neurons. Scientific Reports. 7:5572 (2017) 
7. Watanabe H., Schmidt H.A., Kuhn A., Höger S., Kocagöz Y., Laumann-Lipp N., Özbek S., Holstein T.W. Nodal signaling determines biradial asymmetry in Hydra, Nature, (2014)
8. Damsgaard C., Findorf I.,Helbo S.,., Kocagoz Y., Buchanan R, Huong D.T.T., Weber R.E., Fago A., Houng D. T., Bayley M., Wang T., High oxygen affinity in the blood of the air-breathing swamp eel, Monopterus albus Comp Bioch. Physiol A Mol Integr Physiol. Aug 17;178C:102-108 (2014).

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