The SCAN Lab is thrilled to announce that Melis Cakar, Ph.D. candidate in the UCLA Department of Neuroscience, has successfully defended her dissertation. Her defense marks the culmination of years of rigorous research, academic dedication, and impactful contributions to the field of cognitive and affective neuroscience.

Melis’s dissertation, titled “The Involvement of the Cerebellum in Sensory Over-Responsivity in Autism”, explored [insert info], using [insert info]. Her work not only advances our understanding of the cerebellum, but also contributes to ongoing efforts to develop more personalized and inclusive approaches in clinical research to help develop interventions that can further support autistic individuals.

Melis has been an integral part of the SCAN Lab, bringing insight, collaboration, and leadership to numerous projects and mentoring junior researchers with generosity and care. We are incredibly proud of her accomplishments and excited to see where her career takes her next.

Please join us in congratulating Dr. Cakar on this outstanding achievement!