PeopleofSuperintelligence

Researcher

Bahriye Akay

Also known as Bahriye Basturk

Bahriye Akay is a computer engineer whose early research used artificial bee colony optimization to train neural networks. She earned computer-engineering degrees at Erciyes, completed postdoctoral work at Birmingham, and advanced through the Erciyes faculty ranks. Her work later covered deep learning in colon cancer, metaheuristic cryptanalysis and optimization of deep-learning models; she received the 2022 TÜBA-GEBİP award for AI research. As of October 2026, she is a professor in Erciyes University's Computer Engineering Department.

Now at
Erciyes University
Badges

Timeline

  1. 1999–2009

    Degrees and neural-network training

    She studies computer engineering at Erciyes University from 1999, earns a bachelor's degree in 2003, and starts as a research assistant in its Computer Engineering department in 2004. After a master's degree in 2005, she coauthors a 2007 paper that uses the Artificial Bee Colony algorithm to train feed-forward neural networks, then completes a doctorate in 2009 with a thesis on ABC for numerical optimization.

  2. 2009–2019

    Promotions and postdoctoral work

    She becomes an assistant professor in Erciyes's Computer Engineering department in 2009. She completes postdoctoral work at the University of Birmingham's School of Computer Science and CERCIA in 2011–2012, advances to associate professor in 2013, and becomes professor in 2019.

  3. 2020

    Deep learning in colon cancer

    She coauthors a 2020 review of deep learning research in colon cancer.

  4. 2021

    Metaheuristics for cryptanalysis

    In 2021, she coauthors a review of metaheuristic attacks on substitution and transposition ciphers. It discusses genetic algorithms, simulated annealing, particle swarm optimization and artificial bee colony methods.

  5. 2022

    Deep-learning survey and GEBİP award

    In 2022, she coauthors a survey of metaheuristic methods for optimizing deep-learning models. She also receives TÜBA-GEBİP's 2022 award for her AI research.

  6. November 2025

    An ABC workshop talk

    In November 2025, she presents “Critiques of Metaheuristic Algorithms and the ABC Algorithm” at an Erciyes workshop on the Artificial Bee Colony algorithm.

  7. 2026

    A 2026 scientists ranking

    She appears in Stanford and Elsevier's 2026 list of the world's most influential scientists.

  8. As of October 2026

    Professor at Erciyes

    As of October 2026, she is a professor in Erciyes University's Computer Engineering Department.

Career

  1. Since 2004Erciyes UniversityResearch assistant, Assistant professor
  2. 2011–2012University of Birmingham

Education

  1. 2009Erciyes UniversityDoctorate
  2. 2005Erciyes UniversityMaster's degree
  3. 2003Erciyes UniversityBachelor's degree

From the biography.

  1. The Massachusetts Institute of Technology trained or employed 44 of the 187 AI major-prize winners, more than any other universityIncludes University of Birmingham. The Massachusetts Institute of Technology trained or employed 44 of the 187 AI major-prize winners, more than any other university. We compare doctorate and 5+ year employment links, career timing and current workplaces for 187 major-prize and 1,111 best-paper winners.
  2. More people shaping AI studied at Massachusetts Institute of Technology than at any other institutionIncludes University of Birmingham. We estimate where the people shaping AI studied and where their careers led. Massachusetts Institute of Technology leads with 467 former students, including 291 recorded doctorates.
  3. The company share of AI researchers’ top papers was 31% in 2020–2024 and 8% in 1970–1974Includes University of Birmingham. We estimate where the people shaping AI worked when their most-cited papers appeared: the company share was 31% in 2020–2024 and 8% in 1970–1974, and Google led all organizations in 2020–2024.
  4. The median h-index is 48 at universities and 14 at frontier AI labsIncludes University of Birmingham. The median h-index is 48 at universities and 14 at frontier AI labs. We compare publishing careers, recent citations, dual appointments and job moves across 2,420 university researchers and 308 frontier-lab researchers.

Colleagues

People with dated positions at the same organization in the same years.

Sources and credits

Photo: We have no published photo of Bahriye Akay yet. Send us a free-licensed photo.

  1. Prof. Dr. BAHRİYE AKAY | AVESİS avesis.erciyes.edu.tr. Checked 20 October 2026.
  2. Prof. Dr. BAHRİYE AKAY | AVESİS avesis.erciyes.edu.tr. Checked 20 October 2026.
  3. Prof. Dr. BAHRİYE AKAY | AVESİS avesis.erciyes.edu.tr. Checked 20 October 2026.
  4. CSSE | A survey on the Metaheuristics for Cryptanalysis of Substitution and Transposition Ciphers techscience.com. Checked 20 October 2026.
  5. 2022 TÜBA ve TÜBİTAK Bilim Ödülleri Töreni | Türkiye Bilimler Akademisi tuba.gov.tr. Checked 20 October 2026.
  6. Bilgisayar Mühendisliği - PROF. DR. BAHRİYE AKAY'A TÜBA-ÜSTÜN BAŞARILI GENÇ BİLİM İNSANI ÖDÜLÜ bm.erciyes.edu.tr. Checked 20 October 2026.
  7. 20. Yılında Yapay Arı Koloni (ABC) Algoritması Çalıştayı Düzenlendi bm.erciyes.edu.tr. Checked 20 October 2026.
  8. Bilgisayar Mühendisliği - BÖLÜMÜMÜZ ÖĞRETİM ÜYELERİNİN 2026 EN ETKİLİ BİLİM İNSANLARI SIRALAMASI BAŞARISI bm.erciyes.edu.tr. Checked 20 October 2026.
  9. Mühendislik Fakültesi - Akademik Kadro mf.erciyes.edu.tr. Checked 20 October 2026.