Basak Ayaz, PhD, MS

Biography

Education and Training
Ph.D. in Pharmacology, Department of Medical Pharmacology, Eskisehir Osmangazi University, Faculty of Medicine, Turkey
 
MSc. in Clinical Pharmacology, Department of Medical Pharmacology, Marmara University, Turkey
 
BSc. in Biology, Istanbul University, Turkey
 
Career History
October 2025- Present: Research Assistant Professor, Department of Biomedical Sciences, Texas A&M College of Dentistry, U.S.A.

January 2023- September 2025: Research Assistant Scientist, Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, University of Florida, College of Dentistry

April 2020- January 2023: Post-doctoral Associate, Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, University of Florida, College of Dentistry

September 2019- April 2020: Post-doctoral Associate, Department of Physiological Sciences, University of Florida, College of Veterinary Medicine

January 2018- January 2019: Visiting Research Scholar, Department of Physiological Sciences, University of Florida, College of Veterinary Medicine

September 2014- July 2019: Research Assistant, Department of Medical Pharmacology, Eskisehir Osmangazi University, College of Medicine
 
Research Interests
Dr. Ayaz works in Dr. Neubert’s laboratory on novel non-opioid therapies for pain control. Additionally, Dr. Ayaz has been working to develop an independent research program focusing on the role of hypertension on pain.

Fellowships, Awards, and Honors:
12th Congress of the European Association for Clinical Pharmacology and Therapeutics, Travel Grant – 2015
Scientific and Technological Research Council of Turkey (TUBITAK), 2214/A Scholarship Program for Ph.D. Students Award (Health Sciences Section) – 2017
APS-Cardiovascular Section Research Recognition Awardee – 2019
ASPN Annual Conference 2021- one of the Top 25 abstract
Nominated for full membership in Sigma Xi, 2025
 
Selected Publications
Lindquist KA, Mecklenburg JM, Hovhannisyan AH, Ruparel; RE-JOIN Consortium Investigators; Akopian AN. Investigating mechanically activated currents from trigeminal neurons of nonhuman primates. eNeuro 2025:12;12(5):ENEURO.0054-25.2025.
 
Cruz-Almeida Y, Mehta B, Haelterman NA, Johnson AJ, Heiting C, Ernberg M, Orange D, Lotz M, Boccanfuso J, Smith SB, Pela M, Boline J, Otero M, Allen K, Perez D, Donnelly C, Almarza A, Olmer M, Balkhi H, Wagenaar J, Martone M; RE-JOIN Consortium Investigators. Clinical and biobehavioral phenotypic assessments and data harmonization for the RE-JOIN research consortium: Recommendations for common data element selection. Neurobiol Pain 2024:16:100163.
 
Ahn T, Largoza GE, Younis J; RE-JOIN Consortium; Dickinson ME, Hsu CW, Wythe JD. Protocol for optical, aqueous-based clearing of murine tissues using EZ Clear. STAR Protoc 2024;5(2):103053.
 
Perry SK, Emrick JJ, RE-JOIN Consortium. Trigeminal somatosensation in the temporomandibular joint and associated disorders. Front Pain Res (Lausanne) 2024;5: 1374929.
 
Donertas-Ayaz B, Caudle RM. Locus coeruleus-noradrenergic modulation of trigeminal pain: Implications for trigeminal neuralgia and psychiatric comorbidities. Neurobiol Pain 2023;13:100124. Review