Education

PhD, Firat University, 2014

DVM, Firat University, 2008

Research Interest

My research focuses on viral immunology, immunometabolism, and vaccine development, with the overarching goal of designing vaccines that elicit durable, protective immunity while minimizing immunopathology. Most recently, I have focused on developing Bovine Herpesvirus-based vectored vaccine delivery platforms aimed at enhancing immune responses in economically important livestock species. In the long term, I aim to integrate these mechanistic insights with translational vaccinology to advance next-generation vaccines that are safer, more effective, and broadly applicable across multiple host species.

Clinical Interest

My clinical interests build on prior experience developing an inactivated vaccine against Crimean–Congo hemorrhagic fever (CCHF), a highly lethal tick-borne disease, and contributing to Phase I clinical trial activities in humans. I have also investigated variability in human immune responses, with a particular focus on how demographic and clinical factors—as well as repeated vaccination—shape the magnitude and quality of immunity to clinically important vaccines, including seasonal influenza and COVID-19 mRNA vaccines. 

Awards & Honors

Metformin Confer Protection by Enhancing CD8 T cell Response in Ocular HSV-1 Infected Mice and Decrease Herpetic Encephalitis. 21st Annual Meeting of the Federation of Clinical Immunology Societies (FOCIS2021), TN, USA, June 8-11, 2021. Awarded the prestigious 2021 research award.

Development of an Inactivated Vero Cell-derived Vaccine against Crimean- Congo Hemorrhagic Fever Virus. International Congress on Biological and Health Sciences (ICBH), Afyon, Turkey, February 26-28, 2021. Oral presentation award.

Glucose utilization is indispensable for controlling herpes simplex encephalitis (HSE) and integrity of blood brain barrier (BBB). The Kentucky/Tennessee branch of the American Society for Microbiology, TN, USA, December 4-5, 2020. (Virtual) Oral presentation post-doc award.

Molecular Characterization of Newly Identified CsPV1 in Turkey: A First Report. 2nd International Congress of Veterinary Microbiology Congress, Antalya, Turkey, October 16-19, 2018. Oral presentation award.

Detrimental and beneficial consequences of metabolic manipulations in the herpes simplex encephalitis (HSE) and blood brain barrier (BBB) integrity. Integrating Metabolism and Immunity, Keystone Symposia, Virtual Event, USA, January 25-28, 2021. Received a scholarship award for registration to event.

Development an inactivated candidate vaccine against Crimean Congo hemorrhagic fever. 4th National Congress on Virology, Istanbul, Turkey, June 23-26, 2011. Poster Award.

Publications

Berber E, Jarrett EE, Hanley HB, Uno N, Ross TM. Elicitation of neutralizing antibodies and IgG4 subclass switching following booster vaccination with ancestral COVID-19 mRNA vaccines does not reduce breakthrough infections. Hum Vaccin Immunother. 2025 Dec;21(1):2547517. doi: 10.1080/21645515.2025.2547517. Epub 2025 Aug 14. PMID: 40812315; PMCID: PMC12355716. Elicitation of neutralizing antibodies and IgG4 subclass switching following booster vaccination with ancestral COVID-19 mRNA vaccines does not reduce breakthrough infections - PubMed

Berber E, Pantouli F, Hanley HB, Ross TM. COVID-19 Vaccination Enhances the Immunogenicity of Seasonal Influenza Vaccination in the Elderly. Vaccines (Basel). 2025 May 16;13(5):531. doi: 10.3390/vaccines13050531. PMID: 40432140; PMCID: PMC12116172. COVID-19 Vaccination Enhances the Immunogenicity of Seasonal Influenza Vaccination in the Elderly - PubMed

Berber E, Rouse BT. Controlling viral inflammatory lesions by inhibiting fatty acid metabolism. Microbes Infect. 2023 Sep-Oct;25(7):105141. doi: 10.1016/j.micinf.2023.105141. Epub 2023 Apr 19. PMID: 37085045; PMCID: PMC10524470. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/37085045/ 

Berber E, Rouse BT. Controlling Herpes Simplex Virus-Induced Immunoinflammatory Lesions Using Metabolic Therapy: a Comparison of 2-Deoxy-d-Glucose with Metformin. J Virol. 2022 Jul 27;96(14):e0068822. doi: 10.1128/jvi.00688-22. Epub 2022 Jul 11. PMID: 35862706; PMCID: PMC9327707. Controlling Herpes Simplex Virus-Induced Immunoinflammatory Lesions Using Metabolic Therapy: a Comparison of 2-Deoxy-d-Glucose with Metformin - PubMed

Berber E, Çanakoğlu N, Tonbak Ş, Ozdarendeli A. Development of a protective inactivated vaccine against Crimean-Congo hemorrhagic fever infection. Heliyon, Cell. 2021 Oct 12;7(10):e08161. doi: 10.1016/j.heliyon.2021.e08161. PMID: 34703927; PMCID: PMC8526982. Development of a protective inactivated vaccine against Crimean-Congo hemorrhagic fever infection - PubMed

Sumbria D, Berber E, Miller L, Rouse BT. Modulating glutamine metabolism to control viral immuno-inflammatory lesions. Cell Immunol. 2021 Dec;370:104450. doi: 10.1016/j.cellimm.2021.104450. Epub 2021 Oct 14. PMID: 34678554; PMCID: PMC8656366. Modulating glutamine metabolism to control viral immuno-inflammatory lesions - PubMed

Berber E, Sumbria D, Newkirk KM, Rouse BT. Inhibiting Glucose Metabolism Results in Herpes Simplex Encephalitis. J Immunol. 2021 Oct 1;207(7):1824-1835. doi: 10.4049/jimmunol.2100453. Epub 2021 Sep 1. PMID: 34470854; PMCID: PMC8455457. Inhibiting Glucose Metabolism Results in Herpes Simplex Encephalitis - PubMed

Berber E, Çanakoğlu N, Sözdutmaz İ, Simsek E, Sursal N, Ekinci G, Kökkaya S, Arıkan E, Ambarcıoğlu P, Göksu AG, Keleş İ. Seasonal and Age-Associated Pathogen Distribution in Newborn Calves with Diarrhea Admitted to ICU. Vet Sci. 2021 Jul 9;8(7):128. doi: 10.3390/vetsci8070128. PMID: 34357920; PMCID: PMC8310227. Seasonal and Age-Associated Pathogen Distribution in Newborn Calves with Diarrhea Admitted to ICU - PubMed

Sumbria D, Berber E, Rouse BT. Supplementing the Diet with Sodium Propionate Suppresses the Severity of Viral Immuno-inflammatory Lesions. J Virol. 2021 Jan 28;95(4):e02056-20. doi: 10.1128/JVI.02056-20. PMID: 33208449; PMCID: PMC7851545. Supplementing the Diet with Sodium Propionate Suppresses the Severity of Viral Immuno-inflammatory Lesions - PubMed

Canakoglu N, Berber E, Tonbak S, Ertek M, Sozdutmaz I, Aktas M, Kalkan A, Ozdarendeli A. Immunization of knock-out α/β interferon receptor mice against high lethal dose of Crimean-Congo hemorrhagic fever virus with a cell culture based vaccine. PLoS Negl Trop Dis. 2015 Mar 11;9(3):e0003579. doi: 10.1371/journal.pntd.0003579. PMID: 25760444; PMCID: PMC4356576. Immunization of knock-out α/β interferon receptor mice against high lethal dose of Crimean-Congo hemorrhagic fever virus with a cell culture based vaccine - PubMed

GOOGLE SCHOLAR

Grant Funding

COE/USDA NIFA research grant, Investigation the role of metabolic manipulation on Blood Brain Barrier, Co-PI, $14,787.2021. 2022.