Oyku Celik

Undergraduate Research Assistant in the Cui Lab

Oyku is a Junior Biochemistry and Molecular Biology major at UMass Amherst and a member of the Commonwealth Honors College. She is an E-board member of ACEing Autism and an MA-certified EMT working at UMEMS. She plans to attend medical school pursuing an MD/PhD after graduation, combining her passion for medicine and infertility research. 

Oyku joined the Cui Lab in the Fall of 2023 where she investigates the cellular and molecular mechanisms underlying mammalian oocyte meiosis, focusing on cell cycle-dependent protein gene knockout. She has experience in mice handling, antibody, EU, EdU, and DAPI staining, PCR, and gel electrophoresis.

Beyond her academic and research, Oyku has hands-on experience as an EMT at campus events and actively volunteers teaching tennis lessons for kids with autistic spectrum disorder. In her free time, she enjoys spending time with friends, playing tennis, reading, and traveling.