CV
Professional Experience
- Assistant Professor, University of Groningen, 2024-
- SNSF Postdoctoral Fellow, University of Jyväskylä, 2022-2024
- Postdoctoral Researcher, University of Zurich, 2021
Education
- Ph.D in Evolutionary Biology, University of Zurich, 2021
- M.Sc. in Evolutionary Biology (MEME; double degree), University of Groningen (Cum laude), 2015
- M.Sc. in Evolutionary Biology (MEME; double degree), University of Montpellier, 2015
- B.Sc. in Molecular Biology and Genetics, Istanbul Technical University, 2013
Grants (Research, Teaching, and Organisation)
- Postdoc.Mobility Grant (Single applicant, 2021)
- Swiss National Science Foundation
- 103020 CHF
- GRC grant to organize “Modelling Ecology & Evolution Zurich” Conference (main applicant; 2018)
- University of Zurich
- 6601 CHF
Awards & Scholarships
- Best student talk (third place; 2019)
- Biology19 Conference
- Engineering and Information Technologies Research Scholarship (EITRS) (2016; discontinued)
- University of Sydney
Publications
- Erten, E.Y., Tollis, M., Kokko, H. (2025). Shrinking to bird size with dinosaur-level cancer defences: Evolution of cancer suppression over macroevolutionary time. PLOS Computational Biology, 21(9).
- De Vries, C.=, Erten, E.Y.=, & Kokko, H. (2023). Does symmetry preclude the evolution of senescence? A comment on Pen and Flatt 2021. Proceedings of the Royal Society B, 290(1991), 20221101. = Co-first author
- Majic, P., Erten, E.Y., & Payne, J. L. (2022). The adaptive potential of nonheritable somatic mutations. The American Naturalist, 200(6), 755-772.
- Erten, E.Y., & Kokko, H. (2020). From zygote to a multicellular soma: Body size affects optimal growth strategies under cancer risk. Evolutionary applications, 13(7), 1593-1604.
- Erten, E.Y., & Kokko, H. (2019). Diverse ways to think about cancer: What can we learn about cancer by studying it across the tree of life?. Mètode Science Studies Journal: Annual Review, (10), 201-205.
- Cliff, O.M., Harding, N., Piraveenan, M., Erten, E.Y., Gambhir, M., & Prokopenko, M. (2018). Investigating spatiotemporal dynamics and synchrony of influenza epidemics in Australia: an agent-based modelling approach. Simulation Modelling Practice and Theory, 87, 412-431.
- Erten, E.Y.=, van den Berg, P.=, & Weissing, F.J. (2018). Acculturation orientations affect the evolution of a multicultural society. Nature communications, 9(1), 58. = Co-first author
- Erten, E.Y., Lizier, J.T., Piraveenan, M., & Prokopenko, M. (2017). Criticality and Information Dynamics in Epidemiological Models. Entropy, 19(5), 194.
Teaching
Placeholder
Supervision
Placeholder
Talks
Placeholder
Organisation
- Co-organised ESEB symposium “Ageing outside of the box: insights from unusual and model species” (Upcoming 2025; Barcelona, Spain)
- Co-organised MMEE mini‑symposium “Expanding theoretical perspectives on senescence” (18 Jul. 2024; Vienna, Austria)
- Co-organised ESEB symposium “Aging & Cancer through the Lens of Evolution” (24 Aug. 2019; Turku, Finland)
- Conceived & co-organised Modelling Ecology & Evolution Zurich (MEEZ) Conference (27-28 Jun. 2019; Zurich, Switzerland)
- Co-organised Zurich Interaction Seminars (Sep. 2017‑Jun. 2018; Zurich, Switzerland)
Other research experience
Outreach
Service and leadership
- Member of the BSc Biology Programme Committe at the Universit of Groningen (Nov. 2024-present)
- Secretary and Board Member of the Evolutionary Demography Society (Oct. 2022‑present)
- Member of the Scientific Committee of Mathamatical Models in Ecology and Evolution Conference (Jan. 2025-present)
- Reviewing (journals): American Naturalist, Evolutionary Applications, Biological Reviews, eLife, Proceedings of the Royal Society B, PCI Evolutionary Biology, Scientific Reports, Cancer Control, BMC Biology, Frontiers in Ecology and Evolution, Humanities & Social Sciences Communications
- Reviewing (grants): Arizona Cancer Evolution Centre (ACE), National Research, Development and Innovation Office Hungary (NFKIH)
Skills
- Scientific: Mathematical modelling, computer simulations, scientific writing
- Programming: MATLAB, C++, R, Python
- Other: Mathematica, version control, Latex, Inkscape
- Languages: Turkish (native), English (fluent), French (advanced), Spanish (advanced), Dutch (pre-intermediate), German (beginner), Finnish (beginner)