Q and A with Brain Cancer Researcher Defne Bayik, Ph.D.
The Sylvester Comprehensive Cancer Center scientist studies glioblastoma’s complex molecular mechanisms, with the goal of bringing new treatments to patients.

The last drug to treat glioblastoma, an aggressive brain cancer, was approved in 2005. Glioblastoma makes up about half of all malignant brain tumors in adults and has a five-year survival rate of just 5% to 7%.
Defne Bayik, Ph.D., an assistant professor in the Department of Molecular and Cellular Pharmacology at Sylvester Comprehensive Cancer Center, part of the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, studies glioblastoma’s complex molecular mechanisms, with the goal of bringing new treatments to patients.
Dr. Bayik talks about her research in the following interview, which has been edited for length and clarity.
Tell us about your role at Sylvester.
I’m an assistant professor in molecular and cellular pharmacology with a secondary appointment in microbiology and immunology, and I’m a member of the Sylvester Brain Tumor Institute. I moved here two years ago to study the ways to better activate the immune system to fight against brain tumors. We are trying to understand how brain tumors interact with their microenvironment to come up with new treatment strategies.
What was your journey to becoming a glioblastoma researcher?
I completed my undergraduate studies in Turkey. For my Ph.D., I was part of a partnership program between my home country and the National Institutes of Health. My dissertation work investigated how immune cells, specifically myeloid cells, respond to environmental cues.
It’s important to find a balance in your life. Work is great, what we are doing is important and meaningful, and being grounded helps make it all more fulfilling.
Dr. Defne Bayik
I was more on the basic research side, so for my postdoctoral fellowship, I wanted to do more translational research. A combination of luck and passion led me to start working on glioblastoma. My spouse, who is also faculty here, is a physician-scientist, and when he matched for his clinical specialty training in Cleveland, I was geographically restricted. I was motivated to do cancer immunotherapy, and I applied to several labs. The lab I got into, Dr. Justin Lathia’s lab at the Cleveland Clinic, was focused on brain tumors.
I thought that was a great fit because glioblastoma is a cancer where clinically approved immunotherapies do not work. So-called immune checkpoint inhibitors have become the standard for many solid tumors, but that’s not the case for glioblastoma. The tumors are more heavily infiltrated by myeloid cells, whereas the clinically approved checkpoint inhibitors target different immune cells. I’d studied myeloid cells, so glioblastoma gave me the opportunity to apply that knowledge base.
How does understanding the mechanisms of cancer help lead to more effective treatments?
As a basic immunologist, I knew that biological sex plays an important role in some immune-related disorders. These diseases are more common in females because females have more active immune responses. But the cancer side was not clear. Epidemiologically, we were aware that many cancers, including glioblastoma, are more prevalent in males than females, but we didn’t have a good understanding of mechanisms that could potentially contribute to this. I started studying that, and it’s still a central theme in my lab.
But research is not linear, so it didn’t stop at that point. We expanded beyond the sex difference research and identified potential immunotherapy targets for which we can repurpose existing drugs. For example, we found an anti-diabetic drug that potentially increases immune response against brain tumors.
These drugs are already on the market and approved by the FDA. We know they are safe. This truly gives us the opportunity to accelerate research to clinical translation.
You’ve received early-career grants and honors. What would you say to encourage other young cancer researchers?
The list of honors that I didn’t get is much larger. What I can tell young investigators is that, unless they apply, they can’t get it. Resilience is important. You’ve got to believe in yourself, apply for things and do the best you can. But it’s also important to find good colleagues, good sponsors and good mentors who can support your journey.
Awards are secondary. Research is a long journey. It has ups and downs, so it’s OK to be down occasionally. But come back up and do your best to just keep going.
What are your favorite things to do outside of work?
I have a 3-year-old son, so that takes most of my time! I like going out in nature, enjoying cultural activities and going to museums, concerts or shows. I am an avid reader. Research involves a lot of reading and writing, but I think having pleasure in reading really helps me. It’s important to find a balance in your life. Work is great, what we are doing is important and meaningful, and being grounded helps make it all more fulfilling.
Tags: Department of Molecular and Cellular Pharmacology, Dr. Defne Bayik, glioblastoma multiforme, glioblastoma research, glioblastomas, immune system, Sylverster Comprehensive Cancer Center