February 2026 Member Spotlight: Berna Sozen

February 2026 Member Spotlight: Berna Sozen

Dr. Berna Sozen, has spent her career working to understand early human embryonic development, with particular emphasis on how metabolism, chromatin state, and signaling pathways integrate to guide cell fate decisions and tissue patterning.

This year, Dr. Sozen will receive the Vilcek Prize for Creative Promise in Biomedical Science, which honors outstanding immigrants making transformative contributions in scientific and artistic fields. The recognition highlights her pioneering experimental models that advance understanding of human development and her commitment to fostering inclusive research environments.

Dr. Sozen is an assistant professor of Genetics and Reproductive Sciences at Yale School of Medicine. Through experimental embryology in mammalian models and human stem cell-based embryo and implantation models, her lab develops innovative platforms to study critical stages of human development that are otherwise inaccessible. Her work has also earned recognition through honors such as the NIH New Innovator Award, Pew Scholarship, and ASRM Discovery & Innovation Grant.

Since joining ASRM in 2024, Sozen has leveraged membership to expand her professional network and strengthen collaborations across reproductive science and medicine. She credits ASRM with providing opportunities to engage with clinician-scientists working at the embryo-maternal interface, giving her research broader interdisciplinary perspectives and helping translate fundamental discoveries into clinical relevance.

Throughout her career, Sozen has developed expertise in interdisciplinary experimental design, project leadership, and mentorship-skills she built through hands-on training across multiple institutions and by leading complex trainee-driven research projects. Looking ahead, she aims to lead a research program that defines the fundamental principles of human development by integrating metabolism, signaling, and chromatin regulation while advancing stem cell-based embryo and implantation models as responsible and rigorous experimental platforms.

Sozen is particularly energized by emerging technologies such as spatial multi-omics, quantitative imaging, and controlled microenvironment engineering. She believes these approaches allow scientists to move beyond descriptive studies and directly test how metabolic and physical cues shape early tissue organization, opening new windows into developmental biology and reproductive medicine.

For Sozen, ASRM represents more than a professional society; it is a collaborative community that shapes the future of reproductive medicine. She encourages new members to actively engage across disciplines, noting that interactions between scientists and clinicians can profoundly shape both scientific discovery and career development. Her advice to early-career professionals reflects her own journey: protect curiosity, be intentional in career choices, and seek mentors who both challenge and support growth.

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