TASSA is happy to announce....
TASSA is proud to share the news that the National Academy of Sciences elected Prof. Aziz Sancar from the University of North Carolina as a member and Prof. Mehmet Ozdogan from the University of Istanbul as a foreign associate to the Academy. The announcement on May 3rd recognized 72 new members and 18 foreign associates from 14 countries for their distinguished and continuing achievements in original research. Election to membership in the Academy is considered one of the highest honors that can be accorded a U.S. scientist or engineer. Foreign associates are nonvoting members of the Academy, with citizenship outside the United States. Information about the institution is available at http://national-academies.org .
When TASSA contacted them to congratulate their tremendous accomplishments, both Prof. Sancar and Prof. Ozdogan were kind enough to provide us a brief paragraph describing their research, which we share with you below.
Sancar, Aziz; Sarah Graham Kenan Professor of Biochemistry, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, North Carolina Prof. Aziz Sancar works on two topics. One is the molecular mechanisms of DNA repair. These studies are important for developing both preventive and therapeutic approaches for cancer management. The second is the molecular mechanism of regulation of the biological clock by a blue-light sensitive pigment called "cryptochrome" that was discovered in humans by Dr.Sancar and his colleagues. The biological clock (circadian clock) regulates all bodily functions ranging from sleep to body temperature to blood pressure. Abnormal functioning of the clock may cause depression, insomnia, jet lag and affect mental and physical productivity.
Ozdogan, Mehmet; Director, Eastern Thrace-Marmara Project, and Professor, Faculty of Letters, Department of Archaeology and Art History, University of Istanbul, Istanbul, Turkey Prof. Mehmet Ozdogan is an archaeologist, specialized on prehistory. The main focus of his research is on the beginning, the development and the dispersal of food-producing village communities- more conventionally known as the Neolithic Period. In this respect, he has concentrated his field projects in two distinct regions of Turkey: one in Southeastern Anatolia, the primary formation zone of sedentary villages, mainly conducting archaeological excavations at sites such as Cayonu and Mezraa Teleilat, covering the time range between the 9th and 6th millennium BC. The second part of his work covers the Eastern Thrace, the contact zone of near East-Anatolia with Southeastern Europe, trying to document how this new way of life was transferred to Europe and also to understand its transformation stages. To this purpose, he has been conducting a number of excavations covering the time range of 6th to the 4th millennium BC. Most prolific results have been obtained from sites such as Yarimburgaz, Hoca Cesme and from the ongoing work at Asagi Pinar. The other field of interest of Prof. zdogan is on the development of archaeological thinking and its political implications in Turkey, also covering related fields such as cultural heritage management.
Profs. Sancar and Ozdogan are very excited to hear and learn about TASSA and promised to be active participatants of our activities. We congratulate them again for their deserved honor which makes all scientists envious.
TASSA's Executive Committee