MENTEE – Esrin Aydin

Esrin graduated from a Bachelor of Biomedical Science (Distinction) at Deakin University in 2018, followed by a Bachelor of Medical Science (Honours) (Distinction) at Deakin University 2019. From her Honours degree, she was awarded a Deakin University HDR scholarship by the School of Life and Environmental Sciences as well as the Faculty of Health publication award for her research on immunological biomarkers of ocular allergy.

Esrin is currently a PhD candidate at Deakin University, working under the supervision of AsPr. Cenk Suphioglu, Dr Serap Azizoglu and Dr Moneisha Gokhale. Her research focuses on identifying clinical, proteomic and epigenetic biomarkers of ocular allergy. This project aims to characterise potential biomarkers for the development of future therapeutic and diagnostic applications, as well as observing epigenetic changes occurring as a result of sustained eye-rubbing due to allergy associated itching. Esrin is also a volunteer for the Deakin Eye and Allergy team’s “We See YOU” intitiative, whereby Victorian Secondary school students are screened for allergy markers in tears to detect signs of ocular allergy and corneal irregularities. She hopes to apply the skills and professional network developed through her PhD to an exciting career in industry