Overview

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:

1. Understanding the regulatory mechanisms of adult brain neurogenesis
2. 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

Articles

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).

Capstone projects

Students who are interested in conducting their Capstone projects under the supervision of Dr. Yiğit Kocagöz are encouraged to visit him during office hours to discuss potential project topics in the fields of developmental biology and stem cell biology. As part of the project application process, students are expected to prepare a brief preliminary presentation consisting of five slides.

Contact

• yigit.kocagoz@bau.edu.tr