Grants
 TUBITAK 1003 Grant “Drug Delivery via Targeted Microbubbles as Ultrasound Contrast
Agent and Their Use in Cancer Treatment via Controlled Local Drug Release” (2014-2017)
Researcher (Total budget 670.000 euros)
 Marie Curie Reintegration Grants “Interactions of Breast Cancer Cells with Macrophages in
Controlled 3D in vitro Microenvironments” (2011 – 2015) Director. 100.000 Euros
 COST Bioinspired Nanotechnologies – TUBİTAK Grant “Adhesion at the Nanometer Scale:
Breast Cancer Cells and Normal Epithelial Cells” (2011-2014) Director. 305.290 TL (132.734
Euros) Completed successfully.
 TUBITAK 1001 Grant “Invadopodia Formation on Nanometer Scale Protein Patterns”
Director. (2011-2014) 278.769 TL (121.203 Euros) Completed successfully.
 Izmir Institute of Technology Research Grant (2014 – 2016) 40.000 TL (17.391 Euros)
 Izmir Institute of Technology Research Grant (2011 – 2013) 14.000 TL (6.086 Euros)
Completed successfully.
 Izmir Institute of Technology Start-up Grant (2010) 35.000 TL (15.271 Euros)
Peer-reviewed Articles (217 citations, h index=7)
 D. Pesen and J. H. Hoh. Micromechanical architecture of the endothelial cell cortex.
Biophysical Journal 2005; 88(1):670-9.
 D. Pesen and J. H. Hoh. Modes of remodeling in the endothelial cell cortex. FEBS Letters
2005; 579(2):473-6.
 A. Zelenskaya, J.B. deMonvel, D. Pesen, M. Radmacher, J.H. Hoh and M. Ulfendahl.
Evidence for a highly elastic shell-core organization of cochlear outer hair cells by local
membrane indentation, Biophysical Journal 2005; 88(4):2982-93.
 D. Pesen*, A. Erlandsson, M. Ulfendahl, and D.B. Haviland. Image reversal for direct electron
beam patterning of protein coated surfaces. Lab on a Chip, 2007, 7(11):1603-1606.
 D. Pesen*, W.F. Heinz ,J.L. Werbin, J.H. Hoh, and D.B. Haviland. Electron beam patterning
of fibronectin nanodots that support focal adhesion formation. Soft Matter, 2007, 3(10): 12801284. Selected for inclusion in the RSC’s Chemical Biology Research Articles virtual journal.
 D. Platz, E.A. Tholen, D. Pesen, and D.B. Haviland Intermodulation atomic force microscopy.
Applied Physics Letters 2008, 92(15): 153106
 D. Pesen* and D.B. Haviland. Modulation of cell adhesion complexes by surface protein
patterns. Applied Materials and Interfaces 2009, 1(3):543-548.
Journal cover.
 U. Horzum, B. Ozdil and D. Pesen Okvur*. Micrometer Scale Spacings between Fibronectin
Nanodots Regulate Cell Morphology and Focal Adhesions. Materials Research Express 2014, 1:
025402.
 B. Ozdil, S. Önal, T. Oruç and D. Pesen Okvur*. Fabrication of 3D Controlled in vitro
Microenvironments. MethodsX 2014 1:60-66.
 U. Horzum, B. Ozdil and D. Pesen Okvur*. Step-by-step quantitative analysis of focal
adhesions. MethodsX 2014 1:56-59.
 G. Bati and D. Pesen Okvur*. Invadopodia:Proteolytic feet of cancer cells. Turkish Journal of
Biology 2014, (38) 740-747. Review article.
 B. Ozdil, U. Horzum and D. Pesen Okvur*. Differential adhesion by normal epithelial and
breast cancer cells on nanopatterned surfaces. 2014, manuscript in preparation.
 G. Bati and D. Pesen Okvur*. Invadopodia formation on nanometer scale protein patterns:
New insight to an adhesion requirement. 2014, manuscript in preparation.
 T. Oruc, B. Ozdil, Sevgi Onal and D. Pesen Okvur*. Effect of caffeic acid phenethyl ester on
breast cancer cell migration in 3D controlled microenvironments. 2014, manuscript in
preparation.
Patents
 D. Pesen Okvur, Three dimensional microfluidic device that determines metastatic capacity
and homing choices. Turkish Patent Institute application number 2012/14253, December 2012.
 D. Pesen Okvur, Three dimensional microfluidic device that determines metastatic capacity
and homing choices. European Patent Office application number EP13154001.5, February 2013.
 D. Pesen Okvur, Microfluidic device for investigation of distance dependent interactions in
cell biology, Turkish Patent Institute application number 2013/11723, October 2013.
 D. Pesen Okvur, Microfluidic device for investigation of distance dependent interactions in
cell biology, PCT application number PCT/EP2014/070839, September 2014.