Nilay Ateşyakar

M.A. student in Psychobiology (PEG Lab 2021) / Ph.D Student at Rutgers University, USA (2021-)

nilay.atesyakar@boun.edu.tr

Research Interest:

gene-environment interactions; stress response; prenatal health

About:

Nilay Atesyakar graduated as the top ranking student from Psychology at Dogus University in 2016. She has been working in PEG Lab since her undergraduate years. Upon graduation, she got accepted to a one-year Erasmus Internship Program at Prof. Kate Jeffery´s Lab at University College London, UK. She currently continues her M.A. in Psychological Sciences under the supervision of Dr. Duman. Nilay is interested in gene-environment interactions related to child development and stress response. She has experience conducting experiments with both humans and rodent models. She is now working on her thesis as part of the pregnancy cohort of Bogazici Mother-Baby Relationship Project.

Publications and Poster:

Atesyakar, N., Canbeyli, R., & Unal, G. (2020). Low Cognitive Competence as a Vulnerability Factor for Behavioral Despair in Rats. Behavioural Processes, 104103.

Duman, E. A., Atesyakar, N., & Ecevitoglu, A. (2020). Multilevel Impact of Prenatal Risk and Protective Factors on Stress Biology and Infant Development: Study protocol of BABIP prospective birth cohort from Turkey. Brain, Behavior, & Immunity-Health, 1, 100005

Duman, E. A., Atesyakar, N., Boduroglu, A., Kuzubas, T. U., Gurdal, M. Y., & Saltoglu, B. (Aug, 2020). Biopsychosocial and physiological correlates of risk-taking behavior in undergraduates from Turkey: A study protocol. Poster Presentation on August 27-29, 2020, at the 50th Annual Conference of International Society of Psychoneuroendocrinology, Virtual Conference.

Atesyakar, N., & Ecevitoglu, A., & Duman, E. A. (Aug, 2020). Preliminary findings on the impact of COVID-19 pandemic on mood and daily routines of women from the BABIP birth cohort. Poster Presentation on August 27-29, 2020, at the 50th Annual Conference of International Society of Psychoneuroendocrinology, Virtual Conference.

Ecevitoglu, A., Atesyakar, N., & Duman, E. A. (Aug, 2020). Differential prenatal HPA-axis activity by maternal childhood maltreatment and pregnancy-related worry in the BABIP birth cohort. Oral Presentation on August 27-29, 2020, at the 50th Annual Conference of International Society of Psychoneuroendocrinology, Virtual Conference.

Ecevitoglu, A., Atesyakar, N., & Duman, E.A. (Aug, 2020). Childhood maltreatment and inflammation during pregnancy: Impact on pregnancy-related worries and newborn outcomes in the BABIP birth cohort. Oral Presentation on August 27-29, 2020, at the 50th Annual Conference of International Society of Psychoneuroendocrinology, Virtual Conference.

Duman, E.A., Atesyakar, N., & Ecevitoglu, A. (Aug, 2019). Study Protocol of a Pregnancy Cohort from Turkey: Bogazici Mother-Baby Relationship Project. Poster Presentation on August 29-31, 2019 at the 50th Annual Conference of International Society of Psychoneuroendocrinology, Milan, Italy.

Ecevitoglu, A., Atesyakar, N., & Duman, E.A. (July, 2019). Chronotype and BDNF Val66Met Polymorphism Influence Awakening Cortisol and Trait Anxiety in Young Adults. Poster Presentation on July 2-5, 2019 at the 16th European Congress of Psychology, Moscow, Russia.

Duvelle, E., Hew, E., Ateşyakar, N., Parry-Jones, W., Grieves, R., Rawson, A., Makdah, G., & Jeffery, K. (Nov, 2018). Role of Hippocampal Place Cells and Reactivation/Replay in Optimal Path-Finding. Poster Presentation on Nov 3-7, 2018 at the 48th Society for Neuroscience's Annual Meeting, San Diego, CA, USA.

Duvelle, E., Hew, E., Grieves, R., Rawson, A., Parry-Jones, W., Makdah, G., Ateşyakar, N., & Jeffery, K. (Sept, 2018). Two Routes to a Goal - Does Place Cell Replay Relate to Route Choice? Poster Presentation on Sept 13-14, 2018 at Replay @CUBRIC, Cardiff University, Cardiff, UK.