The 6th Suna Kıraç Conference was held online on 19-20 April 2024 at Koç University. The Conference entitled "Advances in Gene and Molecular Therapies for Neurodegenerative Diseases: Recent Subcellular and Clinical Insights" kicked off with the Welcome Address of İpek Kıraç and was the first meeting after the passing of Suna Kıraç. The eleven speakers from prestigious institutions in the USA and Europe, such as UMass, Harvard, Kings College London, NIH, Johns Hopkins and Oxford Universities, were world authorities and were brought together considering their multifaceted approach to the subject. As always, the speakers contributed unpublished most recent studies to the meeting.
Topics, including discovery of novel genes and gene targeting, subcellular insights to selective vulnerability, non-neuronal pathology in neurodegenerative diseases and dysfunction of RNA processing in circuit-specific neurologic diseases were exhaustively discussed. The last lecture of the meeting, dedicated to the memory of Suna Kıraç, delineated the genetic structure of the ethnically very wealthy Anatolian peninsula as a rich genetic pool and the complex molecular architecture of ALS in Turkey, so far an under-investigated population at the molecular level. The meeting successfully concluded with an interactive session on sporadic ALS.
Suna’s Daughters organized the symposium "Child-Centered City: A Quest for Equality" to create safer and more supportive urban environments for children. Academics, experts, and representatives from civil society gathered to discuss how to develop child-centred ecosystems and the role of data in shaping policies.
As part of the Calculations and Coincidences and In Search of Vera Molnár exhibitions, Pera Museum organized special guided tours throughout January, led by Mathematics Professor Miklós Hoffmann.
Suna’s Daughters communities continue their efforts in five neighborhoods of Şanlıurfa’s Eyyübiye and Haliliye districts to establish an ecosystem that supports all children, especially girls, in every aspect. By collaborating with teachers, public institutions, and non-governmental organizations, these local communities identify barriers faced by children and take solution-oriented steps to overcome them.