Basak received her B.S. in Molecular Biology and Genetics from Middle East Technical University and her M.S. in Molecular Biology and Genetics from Koc University in Turkiye. She joined the Adamala Lab in 2024 as a PhD student, where she researches the origins of life by engineering self-sustaining synthetic cells through the development of genetically encoded amino acid and energy metabolism pathways. She also develops synthetic cell-based sensors for rare earth element detection, with potential applications in astrobiology.
Outside the lab, Basak enjoys working out, ice skating, playing tennis, and taking walks with her cat, Mia.