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Former Intel Vice President Ildeniz to Turkish Entrepreneurs : Try to solve globally scalable problems and focus on the problems of 8 billion people!

Turk of America Journalist Ali Cinar interviewed a prominent pioneer of technology Aysegul Ildeniz regarding the latest developments in the U.S Technology industry

Ayşegül Ildeniz, who worked as a Vice President at Intel, said that the chip issue is an essential strategic matter between the US and China. Ildeniz mentioned that due to a global shortage of semiconductors in 2021 caused by the pandemic, the U.S. economy suffered a loss of $240 million. Ildeniz stated that some Americans could not have cars and computers due to this shortage. She also said that another critical issue in the future would be China threatening Taiwan with its expansionist rhetoric.

In a Bloomberg HT interview, Ayşegül Ildeniz emphasized that "approximately two-thirds of the global semiconductor production is located in South Korea and Taiwan. The U.S. successfully designed chips, but U.S. could not lead the manufacturing position in this industry" Ildeniz added, "Ultimately, the U.S. Congress had to approve a crucial billion-dollar economic package to solve the problem of a lack of semiconductors and the supply chain issues." She emphasized that China invested roughly $600 billion into subtitles, education, R&D, and science.

Ildeniz said there were periodic layoffs in the tech sector and recalled the layoffs in 2001, 2008, and the early 2010s. Ayşegül Ildeniz stated that the number of people employed in the tech sector was 4.7 million before the COVID-19 pandemic, and this number has grown to 5.2 million today. She said that Amazon hired half a million people last year. She indicated that tech firms strive to engage the brightest minds and become competitive. She also said that with the danger of a recession looming in the near future, the firms put great importance on balancing. She reminded us that when there were layoffs, people who lost their jobs went into the business of start-ups to create a brand-new future for themselves. "Cutting-edge technologies have emerged in the previous fluctuations," Ildeniz said.

Ayşegül Ildeniz listed her suggestions to Turkish and Turkish American entrepreneurs: Try to solve globally scalable problems; focus on the problems of 8 billion people and on products and services that everyone can use; and prioritize macro-issues like health, the climate crisis, and energy. She also emphasized that AI and robotics studies are important, and it would be valuable to prioritize services and products related to these fields.
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About Aysegul Ildeniz: She is a pioneer in innovation, technology transformation and future vision in Silicon Valley and Istanbul, Turkey. She serves on the boards of Eczacibasi Holding and Zorlu Holding companies: Vestel Electronics, Vestel White Goods and Zorlu Enerji. She served as the Chief Operating Officer for Silver Spring Networks, a publicly owned worldwide leading technology company focused on internet of things and smart energy. Ayse had a successful career at Intel Corporation; last job being the Vice President for New Devices Group she is the chair of TUSIAD Silicon Valley Network and serves on the boards of Turkish Philanthropy Funds and American Turkish Society.

December 12, 2022
Published in Science
Written by Ali Cinar

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Elon Musk's plan to buy Twitter for $44 billion has been confirmed.

It was confirmed that Tesla and SpaceX CEO Elon Musk sent Twitter a letter saying he would go ahead with the $44 billion buyout deal.Musk's letter on the issue was disclosed in the report filed with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC).The letter confirmed Elon Musk's intention to honor his offer to buy out Twitter. Twitter also issued a statement.

In the statement regarding Mr. Musk's letter, Twitter confirmed to have received the letter filed through the SEC. The statement said: 'The intention of the Company is to close the transaction at $54.20 per share.' Trading of Twitter shares was halted after Bloomberg reported Mr. Musk's plans to go ahead with the buyout of the social media platform for $54.20 per share. The company's shares surged almost 22% after resuming their rally.

Elon Musk said on his twitter : "Buying Twitter is an accelerant to creating X, the everything app".There are also many speculations if Donald Trump could be returning to the platform or not.

October 4, 2022
Published in Technology
Written by Ali Cinar

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A Success Story in the U.S : Dr. Hande Özdinler

Associate Prof. Hande Özdinler, Head of the ALS Research Center at Northwestern University, has become one of the ten best scientific inventors. In a special interview with Journalist Ali Cinar for Turk of America magazine, Dr. Özdinler stated that she started this work for her brother, whom she lost to a cerebral hemorrhage.

-Can you talk about your academic projects?

Özdinler Laboratory was established at Northwestern University in 2009 as the first laboratory in the world to study upper motor neurons. Since then, we have been investigating why these neurons are present in the brain and why they show degeneration.

We are gradually solving the death mechanisms and trying to develop appropriate treatment methods.

Our first project focuses on developing medication. We have presented our great invention together with Dr. Silverman; this is promising for patients with motor neuron diseases and especially for ALS patients, as it will be able to heal the motor neurons in the brain. NU-9 can stop motor neuron deaths more effectively than any other approved medication, and this ability resolves four different mechanisms simultaneously. Thanks to this study, our first steps have given rise to a significant advancement in cell-based and mechanism-focused medication development. We are now in the process of presenting this to patients. It is a challenging, costly, and elaborate process. We need financial support and are spending much time looking for that support.

Our second project is about finding biomarkers. With this study, we will be able to pave the way for drug inventions; we will find out which patient requires which drug, and ultimately, we will ensure the recovery of more patients.

Our third project concerns gene therapy. In this project, we will provide direct gene therapy to motor neurons that have died in the brain, enabling them to reap the benefits of personalized medicine and develop personalized healing methods.

We are working on these three main issues.

-What are the pros and cons of being a Turkish academic in the USA?

Scientists in other countries receive much support from their homelands. Joint projects, investments, student exchange programs, and many brilliant projects. Unfortunately, Türkiye does not benefit enough from scientists who have been successful abroad. In the US, it does not matter where you are from or which nationality you have. It can be challenging to become a C-Level executive. However, this can be achieved with an external and reliable support system. Sadly, I do not have such support. Türkiye does not support me. In addition, nobody from Türkiye has given me much help yet. We always receive the required financial support for our work from NIH project funds.

I would not say that being a Turkish academic in the US has many advantages; nevertheless, being an academic here has its benefits regardless of nationality. Doing science, thinking freely, and immediately accessing technological innovations are ensured. In this atmosphere, your race does not have any importance, and we are mainly discussing the projects.

-Can you mention the awards you have received?

First, I received the Best Master's Thesis Award from Bogazici University. At that time, we were doing the first gene cloning studies in Türkiye. Before a PCR machine, we were cloning genes; those were exciting days. Staying up all night in the lab, I was even once in the laboratory for a whole week without going outside. This was how I finished my thesis.

When I was doing my Ph.D., I received the FASEB award, a science award for the poster I submitted. As a post-associate professor, I received the Harvard Center for Neurodegeneration and Repair (HCNR) Award, which was given to two people at Harvard. This was such a difficult one to get, and I became a Harvard Fellow thanks to this; they also provided funds to the lab I was working in for my training.

At Northwestern, I received the NUCATS Translational Innovation and Corner Innovation awards. These prestigious awards are given to individuals who can think outside the box, create new things no one has ever done, and find innovative methods or solutions.

Our goal has never been to receive prizes and awards but to invent. When we receive awards, we just think, "Well, there are people who follow and appreciate our studies."

- What is your advice to young Turkish people?

It's tough to be young in Türkiye these days. They live in a more difficult time than we did. Universities are especially under so much pressure. Boğaziçi University is one of the best examples of this. Conscious, hardworking, productive, brilliant young people should be appreciated and given value. They are the ones who make inventions, ensure development and make the world a better place. Despite all the challenges they are faced with, young people must be resilient and continue to improve themselves. During COVID-19, many good universities moved their classes online and made them publicly accessible. I advise young people to learn and improve continuously. They will eventually see rewards for their efforts, maybe not today, but tomorrow for sure. They should work with a view to the future and invest in themselves.

-What is your goal for the next five years?

I want to see our work pay off in 5 years, and I want to see ALS patients starting to get better. We will finish this fight with ALS, and I would love to celebrate on the day this ends. We should declare that day a holiday for all ALS friends, their children, mothers, and fathers. A festival of the victory of humanity.

And I also would like to open an exhibition for my paintings. I want to sell my images to support students during their studies, and I would like to write, publish books, see the countries I haven't been to and have a fantastic time with my dear friends.

July 24, 2022
Published in Science
Written by Ali Cinar

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Dr. Özge Karadağ Caman from Columbia University: COVID-19 cases in the U.S. are still worrisome.

I had a discussion with Dr. Özge Karadağ Caman from Columbia University, which is one of the best universities in the U.S. with leading research in the medical field. She is a public health researcher at the Center for Sustainable Development and a member of the Lancet COVID-19 commission. She is also one of the members of the Turkish-American Medical Association. The success of Turkish doctors and the higher positions that they hold make us proud. I want to share with you some special sections from my conversation with her:

There isn’t any decrease in COVID-19 cases and mortality. What is the situation in hospitals? How do you think the winter will be like?

The worrisome trend in the COVID-19 numbers in the U.S. still continues. New York and some other nearby states are relatively better as compared to the first phases of the pandemic, thanks to the local precautions they have taken; however, it is unfortunately not possible to mention a centralized, powerful pandemic response across the U.S. Our decisions and actions rather than the virus itself determine the progress of the pandemic, and we can see that the pandemic can be kept under control in countries that acknowledge this scientific fact, show political decisiveness, and take the required public precautions; however, the U.S. is, unfortunately, yet to maintain country-wide control due to political, economic, cultural, and many other reasons. In some states where the number of cases is high, there are cases of overcrowding in hospitals and delays in non-emergent and non-COVID-19 medical care. Recently, studies on the severity and extent of the impact on non-COVID-19 healthcare services during the pandemic have gained prominence. Given the high number of COVID-19 cases, there are delays not only in protective services but also in the diagnosis and treatment of several other diseases at places where there is a negative impact both on the provision of and request for healthcare services. Conducted research will show the gravity of the situation more clearly in the upcoming period. If there are to be no changes in national policies and adopted measures, difficult autumn and winter seasons await the U.S.; however, the states which solemnly implement their own local measures will go through the following months with less damage.

It is said that the vaccine will be ready in 1 to 2 months. When do you think the vaccine will be available for use?

We see several remarks saying that the vaccine will be ready for the U.S. The approval procedures, which normally take longer, are anticipated to take shorter this time so that the vaccine can be used promptly during the pandemic. This issue should be addressed with a multidimensional and multidisciplinary approach because the development process of the vaccine should be completed with an appropriate number of subjects within a determined period, which must not be hindered to develop a vaccine as soon as possible to be able to provide protection for people. The most important principle taught in medical school is, “First, do no harm.” Accordingly, it is expected for the vaccine to be sufficiently tested to ensure that there are no rare, unwanted side effects while being protective at the same time and that the vaccinated subjects will be monitored during a specific period of time. Furthermore, even if the vaccine is released, herd immunity may not be achieved in a short period of time. The time required to produce millions of doses, the organization required for redundant and fair distribution thereafter, the provision of vulnerable groups with access to the vaccine, and the groups under the impression of anti-vaccinationists constitute the issues to be considered.

What are the differences between the U.S. and Turkey’s healthcare system? Which issues are handled better in Turkey?

There are surely several areas in the national healthcare system of each country that may be improved; however, it is possible to claim that the healthcare system in Turkey has several positive aspects when compared with the healthcare system in the U.S. When we evaluate the health insurance system and provision of healthcare services in the U.S., which has better facilities in the field of health with regard to scientific research and product development, we know that there is a high level of privatization in the provision of services, the health insurance system is complex, healthcare services are expensive, and there are serious issues and inequalities regarding access to the services. Pandemics are controlled first within the society itself and then via primary care and community-oriented services and measures. The hospitals, named as secondary or tertiary care services, come into play during treatment of the cases that occur despite the communal measures adopted. In other words, they manage the pandemic from the background rather than on the front line. Despite the existence of numerous hospitals with high budgets, high technology, and qualified experts, one of the important reasons why case numbers and mortality of the pandemic are high in the U.S. is the issues in the public health system or, in other words, the problems faced on the front line in fighting the pandemic. However, I would like to highlight that the two countries have different aspects both open to improvement in terms of the system itself and also the response to the pandemic, as the public health system and the hospitals constitute only a fragment of the response to the pandemic; this, on the other hand, is a multi-dimensional struggle that covers economic, social, and cultural aspects.

How was the education of medical students affected in the COVID-19 period?

It is inevitable to assert that medical training also suffered from some inconveniences just as the other fields, but the pandemic has its lessons to be learned. In medical training, sessions in laboratories and bedside teaching are just as important as theoretical knowledge. However, due to the pandemic, these sessions, from time to time, are interrupted. On the other hand, the epidemic may have contributed to medical students and specialty candidates; they may learn by experiencing in real life some cases that are abstract when covered theoretically, which is likely to designate them as experienced professionals in their prospective careers.

I think that today’s medical students will better understand the importance of public and global health; that physical, mental, and social health is a whole; that there are social factors that affect public health; and that policies and media affect health.

September 28, 2020
Published in Health
Written by Ali Cinar

Amerikan Aesthetics in Istanbul Offers Top Aesthetic Services

According to Pesha Magid of Quartz Media, walk through Taksim Square, the center of modern Istanbul, and you’ll see them: groups of men wandering around with their heads swaddled in bandages or bright-red marks shaped like boomerangs stretching from temple to temple at the crowns of their heads.