Dr. Fabiano Santos, Senior Program Specialist at the Canada-based International Development Research Centre (IDRC), visited the NDAL team at Koç University Hospital on July 2, 2025.
The visit was carried out within the scope of the IDRC project “The oral and gut microbiome and their derived metabolites in sex differences in ALS,” in which KUTTAM-NDAL is a partner institution. Discussions focused on the scientific objectives and administrative processes of the study, which aims to investigate the role of infectious agents in ALS pathogenesis, with particular emphasis on the microbiome and enteroviral infections.
In the first part of the meeting, Dr. Santos met with clinicians at the Muscle Disease Center. Prof. Dr. Piraye Oflazer and Dr. Ayşe Nur Özdağ Acarlı outlined the clinical dimension of the study. Later, Dr. Santos toured the NDAL laboratory, where project coordinator Prof. Dr. Nazlı Başak introduced the center and presented updates on the project’s progress. Following this, Dr. Santos gave an overview of IDRC’s research priorities, collaboration opportunities, and potential funding mechanisms.
Dr. Santos’ visit marked a significant step in strengthening NDAL’s international research network.
As part of the Chamber Talks programme by the Istanbul Research Institute, the talk titled The Cultivated Eye: From Arif Hikmet’s Lens to Architectural Practice brought together M. Baha Tanman and Müjde Dila Gümüş to examine Arif Hikmet Koyunoğlu’s photography archive and architectural work, offering new perspectives on the exhibition The Photography Studio of an Adventurous Architect.
Pera Museum is hosting guided tours for Feelings in Common, led by curator Ulya Soley. The Guided Exhibition Tour with Curator will take place at Pera Museum on December 24, 2025 at 18:00 and December 27, 2025 at 15:00. The tour will be conducted in Turkish. Capacity is limited; tickets are available via Biletix or at the Pera Museum reception desk on the day of the event.
At the 9th Major Community Gathering, the Suna’nın Kızları communities came together to review the past year’s outcomes and align on project plans for 2026. Participants explored new ideas and collaboration opportunities on how the model and programs co-developed with 33 civil society organizations over the past four years can further support and reinforce one another.