About me

I hold a Summa Cum Laude Bachelor’s degree in Psychology from Bilkent University, where I developed a strong interest in the connection between mind and language. To explore this, I gained hands-on experience in Psycholinguistics labs, actively contributing to projects from experimental design to data collection and analysis. Alongside my studies, I took courses in Python programming and Linear Algebra, which provided me with a strong computational foundation. Driven by my passion for language and cognition, I pursued a Master’s in Cognitive Science at the Centro Interdipartimentale Mente/Cervello (CIMeC) at University of Trento, specializing in Computational and Theoretical Modelling of Language and Cognition. During this time, I deepened my knowledge of Theoretical and Computational Linguistics and conducted research at Fondazione Bruno Kessler (FBK). My work focused on investigating iconicity in language using deep learning models, and homonym perception in LLMs which culminated in a thesis that earned me a 110/110 GPA. In February 2025, I joined the Computational Linguistics and Theoretical Linguistics Lab (COLT) at Universitat Pompeu Fabra as a Research Assistant, working under the supervision of Gemma Boleda on projects related to semantic change, bridging linguistics and AI. By October 2025, I transitioned into a PhD position in the same lab, continuing to pursue my research on language change and evolution. My broader research interests include language change and evolution through deep learning techniques, as well as the intersection of Cognitive Science, Linguistics, and Natural Language Processing. And a little fun fact about me: I appeared on the Turkish version of ‘Who Wants to Be a Millionaire?’ — I made it all the way to the 12th question before deciding to withdraw! If you’re curious, you can watch my episode here.