Staff & Faculty Directory

Berin Karaman Mayack

Assistant Professor; Biological & Chemical Sciences, College of Arts & Sciences

Education Credentials: Ph.D.

Expertise: Medicinal Chemistry, Computer Aided Drug Discovery, Pharmacology

Joined New York Tech: 2025

Dr. Berin Karaman Mayack earned her bachelor’s degree in pharmacy as the Salutatorian from the Faculty of Pharmacy at Marmara University in 2008. She was awarded a TÜBİTAK National Scholarship to pursue her graduate studies, completing her master’s degree in Pharmaceutical Chemistry at the Institute of Health Sciences, Istanbul University, between 2008 and 2010. In 2015, she obtained her Ph.D. in Medicinal Chemistry from Martin Luther University Halle-Wittenberg in Germany. During her graduate studies, Dr. Karaman Mayack participated in several funded projects, including the EU-F7P program Project A-PARADDISE (Anti-Parasitic Drug Discovery in Epigenetics). She also received funding from the Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) and the Landesgraduiertenförderung Sachsen-Anhalt Scholarship. In 2016, she joined the University of Paris Descartes as a postdoctoral fellow, where she contributed to the ANTARES (Antalgic Research) project funded by the French National Research Agency (Agence Nationale de la Recherche).

From 2017 to 2022, Dr. Karaman Mayack held the position of Assistant Professor in the Pharmaceutical Chemistry Department at both Biruni University and Istanbul University in Turkey, receiving funding from the Scientific Research Projects Units of both institutions. Between 2022 and 2025, she served as a Visiting Scientist in Professor Heike Wulff’s lab in the Pharmacology Department at the University of California, Davis. In addition to her academic roles, she is the CEO and Co-Founder of ELIXIDE LLC, a drug discovery research company.

  • Harrington Discovery Institute, 2025 Harrington Brain Health Medicines Scholar Award (Phase 1: 9/1/2024 – 08/31/2025) Project Title: Development of Novel Inhibitors of Soluble Epoxide Hydrolase Specifically to Treat Alzheimer’s Disease PI: Bruce Hammock, Co-investigators: Sung Hee Hwang, Christophe Morisseau, Xioaxiao Wang (UC Davis), Collaborators: Berin Karaman Mayack, Heike Wulff, David Wilson, Jun Yang, Guodong Zhang (UC Davis), Fan Fan (Medical College of Georgia, Augusta University)
  • Turkish Scientific and Technical Research Council, BIDEB 2232- International Fellowship for Outstanding Researchers Project Title: Novel Non-nucleoside Hepatitis-C RNA-dependent RNA Polymerase (NS5B) Inhibitors That Bind to The Allosteric Thumb Site II, 2019-2022 PI: Dr. Mikail Hakan Gezginci Co-PIs: Dr. Berin Karaman Mayack, Dr. Halil Şenol, Dr. Aytekin Kose, Dr. Nilgun Karali
  • Turkish Scientific and Technical Research Council, ARDEB 1002- Short-Term R&D Funding Program Project Title: Investigation of Structural Effects of Mutations Associated with Rett Syndrome (RTT) with Molecular Dynamics Simulations, 2020-2021 PI: Dr. Aslı Yenenler Kutlu, Expert Advisor: Dr. Berin Karaman Mayack
  • Biruni University Scientific Research Projects Unit Project Title: Computer-Aided Database Screening: Determination of Specific Human Type Isotype Sirtuin Modulators, 2019-2020 PI: Dr. Berin Karaman Mayack, Summer Intern: Muhammed Moyasar Alayoubi
  • Turkish Scientific and Technical Research Council, 4007- Science Festival Support Program Project Title: Innotech: Pharmaceutical Art, Science and Technology Festival, 2019 PI: Merve Memişoğlu, Workshop Leader (Computer Aided Drug Design): Dr. Berin Karaman Mayack
  • Biruni University Faculty of Pharmacy Research Laboratory Infrastructure Improvement, 2018 PI: Prof. Süreyya Ölgen, Co-PI: Prof. Dr. Zelihagül Değim, Researcher: Dr. Berin Karaman

Book Chapters
  1. Karaman, B. and Sippl, W. Current In Silico Drug Repurposing Strategies. Systems Medicine Integrative, Qualitative, and Computational Approaches, Volume 2, 2021, Pages 257–268 Ed. Olaf Wolkenhauer, Academic Press, Elsevier.
  2. Luise, C.; Heimburg, T.; Karaman, B.; Robaa, D.; Sippl, W. Chapter 3: Computer-based Lead Identification for Epigenetic Targets. Epigenetic Drug Discovery, First Edition, 2019, Ed. Wofgang Sippl and Manfred Jung, Wiley-VCH
  3. Karaman, B.; Jung, M.; Sippl, W. Chapter 11: Structure-based design and computational studies of sirtuin inhibitors. Epi-Informatics, 1st Edition, 2016, Discovery and Development of Small Molecule Epigenetic Drugs and Probes Ed. Jose Medina-Franco, Elsevier
Journal Articles
  1. Karaman Mayack, B.; Alayoubi, M.M.: Gezginci, M.H. In silico design of potential HCV NS5B inhibitors: a comprehensive approach combining combinatorial library generation, ensemble docking, MM-GBSA calculations, QSAR model development, and molecular dynamics. Letters in Drug Design & Discovery, 2024 (accepted and in press)
  2. Camcı, M.; Şenol, H.; Köse, A.; Karaman Mayack, B.; Alayoubi, M.M.; Karalı N.; Gezginci, H. M. Bioisosteric replacement of the carboxylic acid group in Hepatitis-C virus NS5B thumb site II inhibitors: Phenylalanine derivatives, European Journal of Medicinal Chemistry, 2024
  3. Karaman Mayack, B. and Alayoubi, M.M. Pharmacophore-based Virtual Screening: Identification of Selective Sirtuin 2 Inhibitors., Journal of Research in Pharmacy, 2023
  4. Karaman Mayack, B.; Alayoubi, M.M.: Gezginci, M.H. Fingerprint-based QSAR Model Generation to Identify Structural Determinants of HCV NS5B Inhibition. Journal of Research in Pharmacy, 2023
  5. Karaman Mayack, B. Modeling disruption of Apis mellifera (honeybee) odorant-binding protein function with high-affinity binders. Journal of Molecular Recognition, 2023
  6. Ntie-Kang, F.; Karaman Mayack, B.; Valente, S.; and Battistelli, C. Editorial: Natural Product Epigenetic Modulators and Inhibitors. Molecules, 2021
  7. Karaman Mayack, B.; Ntie-Kang, F.; and Sippl, W. Natural Products as Modulators of Sirtuins. Special Issue “Structure-Activity Relationships (SAR) of Natural Products.” Molecules, 2020
  8. Schräder, C. U.; Heinz, A.; Majovsky, P.; Karaman, B.; Sippl, W.; Schmelzer, C. H. E. Elastin is heterogeneously cross-linked. The Journal of Biological Chemistry, 2018
  9. Karaman, B. and Sippl, W. Computational Drug Repurposing: Current Trends. Current Medicinal Chemistry, 2018
  10. Selvam, C.; Lemasson, I. A.; Brabet, I.; Oueslati, N.; Karaman, B.; Cabaye, A.; Tora, A. S.; Commare, B.; Courtiol, T.; Cesarini, S.; McCort-Tranchepain, I.; Rigault,D.; Mony, L.; Bessiron, T.; McLean, H.; Leroux, F.; Colobert, F.; Daniel, H.; Goupil-Lamy, A.; Bertrand, H.-O.; Goudet, C.; Pin, J.-P.; Acher, F. C. Increased potency and selectivity for group-III metabotropic glutamate receptors agonists binding at dual sites. Journal of Medicinal Chemistry, 2018
  11. Karaman, B.; Alhalabi, Z; Swyter, S; Mihigo, S; Andrae-Marobela, K; Jung, M; Sippl, W; Ntie-Kang, F. Identification of bichalcones as sirtuin inhibitors by virtual screening and in vitro testing. Molecules, 2018
  12. Güzeldemirci, N. U.; Karaman, B. and Küçükbasmacı Ö. Antibacterial, antitubercular, and antiviral activity evaluations of some arylidenehydrazide derivatives bearing imidazo[2,1-b]thiazole moiety. Turkish Journal of Pharmaceutical Sciences, 2017
  13. Karaman, B. and Güzeldemirci, N. U. Synthesis and biological evaluation of new imidazo[2,1-b]thiazole derivatives as anticancer agents. Medicinal Chemistry Research, 2016
  14. Ntie-Kang, F.; Simoben C. V.; Karaman, B.; Ngwa, V. F.; Lifongo, L.L.; Judson, P. N.; Sippl, W.; Mbaze, L. C. Pharmacophore Modeling and in Silico Toxicity Assessment of Potential Anticancer Agents from African Medicinal Plants. Drug Design, Development, and Therapy, 2016
  15. Schiedel, M.; R[umpf, T.; Karaman, B.; Lehotzky, A.; Gerhardt, S.; Ovádi, J.; Sippl, W.; Einsle, O.; Jung, M. Structure-Based Development of an Affinity Probe for Sirtuin 2. Angewandte Chemie International Edition in English, 2016
  16. Schiedel, M.; Rumpf, T.; Karaman, B.; Lehotzky, A.; Gerhardt, S.; Ovádi, J.; Sippl, W.; Einsle, O.; Jung, M Aminothiazoles as potent and selective Sirt2 inhibitors – a structure-activity relationship study. Journal of Medicinal Chemistry, 2015
  17. Karaman, B. and Sippl, W. Docking and binding free energy calculations of sirtuin inhibitors. European Journal of Medicinal Chemistry, 2015
  18. Rumpf, T.; Schiedel, M.; Karaman, B.; Rössler, C.; North, B. J.; Ladwein, K. I.; Gajer, M.; Sinclair, D. A.; Schutkowski, M.; Sippl, W.; Einsle, O.; Jung, M. Selective Sirt2 inhibition by ligand-induced rearrangement of the active site. Nature Communications, 2015
  19. Schiedel, M.; Marek, M.; Lancelot, J.; Karaman, B.; Almlöf, I.; Schultz, J.; Sippl, W.; Pierce, R. J.; Romier, C.; Jung, M. Fluorescence-based screening assays for the NAD+-dependent histone deacetylase smSirt2 from Schistosoma mansoni. Journal of Biomolecular Screening, 2015
  20. Ntie-Kang, F.; Nwodo, J. N.; Ibezim, A.; Simoben, C. V.; Karaman, B.; Ngwa, V. F.; Sippl, W.; Adikwu, M. U.; Mbaze, L. M. a. Molecular Modeling of Potential Anticancer Agents from African Medicinal Plants. Journal of Chemical Information and Modeling, 2014
  21. Falenczyk, C.; Schiedel, M.; Karaman, B.; Rumpf, T.; Kuzmanovic, N.; Grotli, M.; Sippl, W.; Jung, M.; Konig, B., Chromo-pharmacophores: photochromic diarylmaleimide inhibitors for sirtuins. Chemical Science – Royal Society of Chemistry, 2014
  22. Akkurt, M.; Guzeldemirci, N. U.; Karaman, B.; Buyukgungor, O., 2-[6-(4-Chloro-phen-yl)imidazo[2,1-b][1,3]thia-zol-2-yl]-N’-[(E)-4-meth-oxy-benzy l-idene]acetohydrazide. Acta Crystallographica Section E-Structure Reports Online, 2010

  • Top Cited Article 2022–2023, Journal of Molecular Recognition, WILEY
    • Modeling disruption of Apis mellifera (honeybee) odorant-binding protein function with high-affinity binders
  • Annual Scientific Publication Performance Award, Biruni University, 2019
  • Ph.D., magna cum laude (GPA: 1.1*/5.0) *1.0 indicates the best score, MLU Halle-Wittenberg, 2015
  • Bronze Bursary Award (€350) to participate 2014 eCheminfo Oxford Drug Discovery Workshop, UK, 2014 (declined)
  • CECAM (Centre Européen de Calcul Atomique et Moléculaire) Prize, Best Poster, 2013
    • Poster Title: 3,5-Bisarylidene-pyrrolidine-2,4-diones as Novel Inhibitors of Sirtuins
    • Innovative Approaches to Computational Drug Discovery. CECAM-HQ-EPFL, Lausanne, Switzerland
  • Bachelor of Pharmacy, Salutatorian (GPA: 89.29/100), Marmara University, 2008

  • CHEM 210 Organic Chemistry I

Contact Information

Email: bkaraman@nyit.edu

Phone: 212.261.1531

Office: New York, NY