Dr. Akbulut is an Assistant Professor at Sabancı University since February 2012. She received her B.S. in Materials Science and Engineering at Sabancı University in 2004. Her PhD from Massachusetts Institute of Technology (2009) focused on cost-effective fabrication of biomolecular devices and surface science. She continued her studies as a post-doctoral fellow at Harvard University (2009–2011) on developing tools/techniques for resource-limited settings. Her main research interests are rheology modifiers and silicone-based composites. She also co-founded a company, Surgitate, on tactile surgical training platforms, in 2014