PhD Spotlight: Burcu Ozek, PhD’24, Industrial Engineering
Burcu Ozek, PhD’24, industrial engineering, focused research on developing objective pain assessment methods through machine learning, aiming to accurately quantify uncertainty and preexisting pain conditions. She co-authored six peer-reviewed journal articles, with four as lead author.
In 2018, Burcu Ozek began pursuing her PhD after receiving a bachelor’s degree from Bilkent University in Ankara, Turkey, and working in industry for two years. Her doctoral research, advised by Sagar Kamarthi, professor of mechanical and industrial engineering, focused on developing objective pain assessment methods through machine learning, aiming to accurately quantify uncertainty and preexisting pain conditions. She co-authored six peer-reviewed journal articles, with four as lead author. She also presented her research at the INFORMS conference, as well as at Northeastern’s RISE Expo and the Cutting-Edge Connections in PhD Research event.
Ozek completed two consecutive internships as a PhD data scientist at Merck through Northeastern’s LEADERS program, an experiential learning opportunity that combines leadership and professional skills education with a research project. At Merck, she developed innovative machine learning and knowledge graph frameworks to enhance drug development processes. Her internship experience contributed to her PhD research and addressed real-world challenges, demonstrating her commitment to practical and impactful research.
As the head teaching assistant for the Data Mining in Engineering class for more than three years, Ozek led a team of 30 teaching assistants and guided their efforts to effectively manage classroom dynamics and enhance learning outcomes. She mentored more than 600 students, supporting them through complex coursework and fostering a positive, inclusive, and respectful learning environment.
Her achievements in research, teaching, and leadership have been recognized with prestigious awards from Northeastern at the university and college levels, including induction into the Lux. Veritas. Virtus. society of distinction, the MIE Ferretti and Yamamura Award, a 2023 Outstanding Graduate Teaching Award, a LEADERS Fellowship, and the Yaman Yener Memorial Graduate Scholarship in 2021.
In the next chapter of her career, Ozek will be working at a startup that addresses healthcare challenges by leveraging innovative artificial intelligence innovations to enhance patient care delivery.