Selim Hanay

Biography

Selim Hanay received his bachelor’s degree from the Microelectronics Engineering Program at Sabancı University and completed a minor in Physics. He received his Ph.D. in Physics from Caltech in 2011.

At Caltech, he developed nanomechanical sensors capable of weighing a single protein molecule in real time. He continued his research at Caltech for a total of two years, first as a postdoctoral researcher and then as a research engineer.

In 2013, he joined Bilkent University as an Assistant Professor. His current research focuses on the detection of viruses and nanoparticles using nanomechanical mass spectrometry under atmospheric conditions, microwave sensing of nanoparticles in microfluidic systems, and the development of deformable microfluidics for controlled cell transfection.

He has received encouragement awards from national research organizations such as TÜBİTAK, TÜBA, and the Science Academy, and has been honored with Bilkent University’s Distinguished Teaching Award. He is also the recipient of an ERC Starting Grant and an ERC Proof of Concept Grant.

Between 2022 and 2024, he served as a Visiting Faculty Member in the Department of Physics at Caltech. He currently serves as an Associate Professor in the Department of Mechanical Engineering at Bilkent University and is affiliated with UNAM, the National Nanotechnology Research Center.

Education

• Ph.D., Physics, California Institute of Technology (2011)
• B.S., Microelectronics Engineering, Minor: Physics, Sabancı University (2003)