The winner of the Vehbi Koç Award was Assoc. Prof. Dr. Kıvanç Birsoy
The 2025 winner of the Vehbi Koç Award, given annually by Turkey's first private foundation, the Vehbi Koç Foundation, in the fields of culture, education and health, has been announced. This year's award in the field of health was presented to Assoc. Prof. Dr. Kıvanç Birsoy for his work revealing metabolic pathways that play a role in cancer development and can be a treatment target.
CONDUCTING STUDIES TO UNDERSTAND THE ROLE OF METABOLIC CHANGES IN CANCER DEVELOPMENTAssoc. Prof. Dr. Kıvanç Birsoy, who was chosen from among the 3 candidates proposed by the Selection Committee consisting of Prof. Dr. Hayrunnisa Bolay Belen, Prof. Dr. Gökhan Hotamışlıgil, Prof. Dr. Tayfun Özçelik, Prof. Dr. Murat Akova, chaired by Prof. Dr. Ahmet Gül, as well as the Vehbi Koç Foundation Board of Directors, stands out with his studies on understanding the role of metabolic changes in cancer development. Assoc. Prof. Dr. Kıvanç Birsoy serves as the Head of the Department of Metabolic Regulation and Genetics at Rockefeller University and leads a team that also includes researchers from Turkey.
"1 IN EVERY 5 PEOPLE IS DIAGNOSIS OF CANCER, THIS TABLE IS WORRYING"Speaking at the award ceremony, Koç Holding Board Chairman Ömer M. Koç stated that in addition to the Vehbi Koç Foundation's own activities, he believes in the importance of recognizing achievements that lead to development and shed light on young people, and said: “For this very reason, our Foundation awards individuals and institutions that have made extraordinary contributions in one of the fields of education, health and culture every year. The subject of the Vehbi Koç Award this year is health. We are witnessing the dizzying pace of scientific and technological developments in this field. The human quest for a healthy and long life, combined with revolutionary developments in biotechnology, genetic engineering and artificial intelligence, enables the discovery of innovative treatment methods.”
Koç, who stated that despite all the advances in health technologies in the world, cancer is still one of the problems that has not been fully resolved, said, “The figures show that 1 in 5 people contract this disease at some point in their lives. It is obvious that this picture is alarming; however, the scientific studies carried out with determination for cancer treatment increase our hope. As in every field, we can reach a better tomorrow in the field of health with qualified and competent people and only by taking science as a basis. Tonight, a very special scientist who works for a healthier future with his pioneering research and discoveries was deemed worthy of the Vehbi Koç Award.”
The winner of the award, Assoc. Prof. Dr. Kıvanç Birsoy, stated that it was a great honor for him to be deemed worthy of this award, and said, "The support provided by the Vehbi Koç Foundation to Turkish scientists is not only inspiring, but also a strong source of motivation for many researchers working abroad like me. Receiving this award on behalf of Vehbi Koç, a visionary who has made great contributions to the development of our Republic, has a special meaning for me. In our laboratory, which I established in 2015, we conduct pioneering studies in the biomedical field by investigating the energy needs and nutrient utilization mechanisms of cancer cells. Our goal is to deeply understand the role of metabolism in cancer and other diseases and to quickly transform this knowledge into new treatment strategies. I would like to express my sincere gratitude to the Koç Family, the Vehbi Koç Foundation executives and the selection committee for deeming me worthy of this award."
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