Interview with Dr. Betul Kara

Our bodies are finely tuned machines and deviations in key processes could be fatal. That’s what happens in Niemann-Pick Disease Type C (NPC), a rare genetic condition. Thankfully, scientists like Betul are dedicating their careers to understanding this disease.

What can lipids tell us about NPC?

Dr. Betul Kara is a postdoc in the Chemistry Department in the lab of Dr. Stephanie Cologna. Almost immediately after joining the lab, Betul applied for and received funding from the Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation. “It was a good start as a postdoc,” exclaims Betul. “Shortly after I started, I got this fellowship and then it kind of gave me the boost to start doing my own research.”

Betul’s work centers on lipids — specifically cholesterol. Lipids provide energy, serve as signaling molecules, and make up myelin sheaths — insulation for a part of a brain cell called an axon. This insulation is necessary for brain cells to efficiently communicate with each other. Specialized cells called oligodendrocytes are responsible for making myelin sheaths and cholesterol is an important part of this process.

People with NPC have dysfunctional cholesterol transporters which causes cholesterol to accumulate in cells and may eventually lead to cell death. This imbalance of lipids prevents the oligodendrocytes from maturing or making myelin so people with this disease often have cognitive decline and loss of balance and coordination.

Betul wants to know how cholesterol accumulation from NPC affects the proteins and lipids in oligodendrocytes and whether that hinders myelin formation. This work will help her develop a pathological representation of NPC in oligodendrocytes, which could be used to better understand disease prognosis, uncover more effective biomarkers, and discover alternative treatments in the future. Betul’s work is crucial because most cases of NPC are fatal and there is currently no cure.

Must-have Mentorship

While Betul’s dedication and hard work in the lab have made her the scientist she is today, she recognizes that her mentors were instrumental in her success. “I was so lucky to have, just by chance, all female mentors, and they supported me a lot. If I'm here today, this is because of them,” says Betul. Shortly after Betul completed her master’s program, she had the opportunity to volunteer for a few months in Dr. Mary Jo LaDu’s lab here at UIC, without knowing she would be back at UIC eight years later as a postdoc. She thinks that initial volunteer opportunity changed her whole trajectory. “If that wasn't for my late mentor Dr. LaDu, probably I wouldn't be here today [at UIC], “says Betul. “And if that wasn’t for my current mentor, Dr. Cologna, who is equally influential and supportive, I wouldn’t be able to stand ground in my career today.”

Black belt scientist

Betul firmly believes that every scientist should be passionate about something other than science and for her, that’s karate. “These two things in my life [science and karate], fed each other and then gave me this harmony,” says Betul. She realized that by using the same discipline that she used in graduate school, she was able to earn her black belt. “For the first time in my life, I've seen that I can accomplish something physical rather than my intellect,” shares Betul.

Martial arts is a male dominated area, but Betul’s dojo had a female instructor who became her close friend. “She made me feel like I belonged there as a female. I didn't feel awkward,” says Betul. Since that feeling of belonging was so essential for Betul’s success, she made sure to be that friendly, welcoming person for any young females that joined after her.

Re-channeling failure

While Betul has learned many marketable research techniques in her lab, being a scientist has taught her something more valuable. “The one thing academia taught me is don't be afraid of failures. It just happens all the time, like a lot more than a nonacademic person would get in an entire lifetime,” shares Betul. This persistent failure is a feeling that academics know too well, but Betul has channeled it into something positive. Instead of being afraid of trying something new, like karate, she whispers to herself “what’s the worst-case scenario? I stop doing it? I might as well try.” This mentality has worked well in her science, her hobbies, and will continue to empower her for any new challenges that cross her path.