Education

• Ph.D., Biochemistry (2013)
• M.Sc., Biotechnology (2008)
• B.A., Biology, (2005)

Research Interests

Kaya is a geneticist and biochemist, interested in many aspects of biology of aging from the evolutionary and molecular genetics and biochemical perspectives. Genes and environmental factors that strongly interact to modulate observed aging patterns among different organisms has been one of his major interests. He hopes to advance understanding of the biology of aging and the fundamental relationship between genetic variation, metabolism and aging process as well as age associated diseases.

Select Publications

• Oz N, Vayndorf E, Tsuchiya M, McLean S, Turcios-Hernandez L, Pitt JN, Blue BW, Muir M, Kiflezhgi MG, Tyshkovskiy A, Mendenhall A, Kaeberlein M, Kaya A. (2022) Evidence that conserved essential genes are enriched for pro-longevity factors.
• Kaya A, Mariotti M, Tyshkovskiy A, Zhou X, Hulke ML, Ma S, Gerashchenko MV, Koren A, Gladyshev VN. (2020) Molecular signatures of aneuploidy-driven adaptive evolution. Nat Commun. 30;11(1):588.  
• Kaya A*, Phua CZJ, Lee M, Wang L, Tyshkovskiy A, Ma S, Barre B, Liu W, Harrison BR, Zhao X, Zhou X, Wasko BM, Bammler TK, Promislow DE, Kaeberlein M, Gladyshev VN. (2021) Evolution of natural lifespan variation and molecular strategies of extended lifespan in yeast. Elife. 9;10:e64860 (*corresponding author)
• Kaya A, Gerashchenko MV, Labarra J, Toledano M, Gladyshev VN. (2015) Adaptive aneuploidy protects against thiol peroxidase deficiency by increasing respiration via key mitochondrial proteins. Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA, 112, 10685-10690.
• Kaya A, Lobanov AV, Gladyshev VN. (2015) Evidence that mutation accumulation does not cause aging in Saccharomyces cerevisiae. Aging Cell.

Google Scholar profile

Affiliations

• Integrative Life Sciences, Human and Molecular Genetics

Courses

• Biology of Aging (Fall)
• Synthetic Biology (Spring)