INTERNATIONAL CHAPTERS - MIDDLE EAST

Elif was the first person to join Youth STEM Initiative from Türkiye and has since been an integral part of the organization starting as a researcher and now also leading her country's chapter. Elif has a strong passion for molecular biology, seeking to deepen her studies in the field at college in the United States from 2025. She has worked with tools like Benchling to design sgRNA and has even explored the depths of bioinformatics with her knowledge in genomics and the R programming language. Elif has also written an in-depth research article titled "CRISPR/Cas9 Screening Technology on Drug Identification" which can be found in the Research section of our website. In her free time she loves to read (no matter the topic!) and her main hobby is dancing. Elif also recently completed a study abroad program as an AFS Exchange Student in Latvia.

Abeer was the first person to join Youth STEM Initiative from the UAE, originally as a researcher and now taking on the role as the leader of her country's chapter. She is currently pursuing a BSc in Biotechnology at AURAK in Sharjah and is deeply interested in molecular biology, genetics, immunology and all things biology. Abeer has written intriguing research articles that can be found on our website and blog ranging from the Nature vs. Nurture debate to investigating whether your brain eats itself.