Prof. Hayriye SUNDU | High energy physics | Best Researcher Award
Professor at ISTANBUL MEDENIYET UNIVERSITY | Turkey
Assoc. Prof. Dr. Hayriye Sundu Pamuk is a seasoned theoretical physicist specializing in high energy physics and QCD sum rules, currently serving at Istanbul Medeniyet University. With over two decades of academic experience, she has made impactful contributions to the field of exotic hadrons, publishing extensively in high-impact journals. Her work spans theoretical predictions of heavy tetraquark states, hybrid mesons, and thermal properties of hadronic matter. She is recognized for her rigorous research, effective mentorship, and leadership roles in academia.
Profile
📘 Early Academic Pursuits
Dr. Hayriye Sundu Pamuk began her academic journey with a B.Sc. in Physics Education from Balıkesir University in 1998. Her passion for particle physics led her to Middle East Technical University (METU), where she completed both her M.Sc. and Ph.D. in High Energy Physics under the supervision of Prof. Dr. Erhan Onur İltan. Her graduate research focused on the Two Higgs Doublet Model (2HDM), addressing phenomena such as lepton flavor violation and the muon anomalous magnetic moment. These early explorations laid the theoretical groundwork for her future contributions in particle phenomenology and quantum field theory.
🧑🔬 Professional Endeavors
Her professional academic path includes notable roles at top institutions. From 2000 to 2007, she served as a research and teaching assistant at METU. In 2007, she joined Kocaeli University as a faculty member, advancing from Dr. Assistant to Associate Professor. Her tenure there spanned 16 years, enriched by administrative leadership and mentorship of graduate theses. In 2023, she transitioned to the Faculty of Engineering and Natural Sciences at Istanbul Medeniyet University, where she continues to lead innovative research and graduate instruction in advanced theoretical physics topics.
🔬 Contributions and Research Focus
Dr. Sundu Pamuk’s primary research lies in the phenomenology of exotic hadrons, particularly tetraquarks and hybrid mesons, explored through QCD sum rules and thermal field theory. Her studies contribute to understanding the non-perturbative aspects of QCD, and she is often cited for theoretical analyses of fully-heavy quark systems such as bbcc and bcbc states. Her recent works appearing in journals like Phys. Rev. D, Eur. Phys. J. C, and Phys. Lett. B are instrumental in predicting the mass spectra, decay constants, and thermal behaviors of these particles, bridging theory with potential experimental discovery.
🌍 Impact and Influence
Dr. Sundu Pamuk’s influence in high-energy physics is reflected in her collaborations across multiple institutions and countries, especially with leading researchers like K. Azizi and S.S. Agaev. Her papers are widely downloaded, cited, and reviewed within the theoretical particle physics community. As a graduate mentor, she has produced scholars contributing to academia and research. Her investigations are especially relevant in the era of LHC upgrades and heavy ion collisions, where her predictions guide experimental searches. Her administrative roles demonstrate her strategic vision for academic excellence and her commitment to building research capacity.
📈 Academic Citations
With more than 20 SCI-indexed publications in a short period (2023–2025), Dr. Sundu Pamuk has maintained a high publication density. Her articles in reputable journals such as Phys. Rev. D and Eur. Phys. J. C have garnered significant citations, particularly in areas involving exotic quark configurations. Her collaborative works on thermal properties of tetraquarks and decay mechanisms of hybrid mesons are frequently referenced by fellow theorists and computational physicists. Her academic footprint is steadily growing, with Google Scholar and ResearchGate profiles that reflect her influence, consistency, and scientific originality.
🛠️ Research Skills
Dr. Sundu Pamuk demonstrates proficiency in computational techniques, particularly QCD sum rules, operator product expansion, and thermal field theory. She is adept at performing analytical derivations and numerical modeling, frequently applying them to predict hadron spectra, leptonic decay constants, and transition amplitudes. Her ability to bridge theoretical frameworks with real-world particle behavior makes her a sought-after collaborator. She also employs tools such as Mathematica, Maple, and other symbolic computation platforms. Her focus on rigor, reproducibility, and mathematical consistency has earned her strong credibility in quantum field theory and particle phenomenology.
👩🏫 Teaching Experience
An accomplished educator, Dr. Sundu Pamuk has taught a wide range of graduate and undergraduate courses, including Advanced Quantum Physics, Statistical Physics, Thermodynamics, and Electromagnetic Theory. She is noted for her clarity of explanation, student mentorship, and the ability to simplify complex physical concepts. At both Kocaeli University and Istanbul Medeniyet University, she has introduced innovative approaches in courses such as Numerical Methods in High Energy Physics. Her consistent engagement with students beyond lectures through thesis advising, research projects, and workshops reflects her commitment to fostering scientific curiosity and critical thinking.
🏆 Awards and Honors
Dr. Sundu Pamuk’s academic excellence has been formally recognized with multiple Scientific Achievement Prizes from Kocaeli University (2011, 2012, 2016, 2017, 2019, 2021). She also received the Honour Students Prize during her doctoral studies at METU in 2004, highlighting early promise. Her repeated honors reflect sustained research output, dedication to teaching, and service to the academic community. These accolades serve as evidence of institutional and peer recognition, affirming her status as a leading scholar in particle physics and a role model for younger scientists in Turkey and beyond.
🌟 Legacy and Future Contributions
As a leading figure in exotic hadron physics, Dr. Sundu Pamuk is poised to make lasting contributions to quantum chromodynamics and beyond-standard-model physics. Her future work is expected to delve into multi-quark dynamics at extreme conditions, relevant for astrophysical phenomena and collider experiments. Her legacy will also include her influence on physics education, as her former students continue to shape research in Turkey and globally. With a strong foundation and growing international collaborations, she is well-positioned to lead interdisciplinary initiatives, contribute to policy in science education, and inspire the next generation of physicists.
Top Noted Publications
Fully heavy asymmetric scalar tetraquarks
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Authors: S.S. Agaev, K. Azizi, H. Sundu
Journal: European Physical Journal A
Year: 2025
Scalar fully-charm and bottom tetraquarks under extreme temperatures
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Authors: A. Aydın, H. Sundu, J.Y. Süngü, E. Veli Veliev
Journal: European Physical Journal C
Year: 2025
Hidden charm-bottom structures bcb̄c̄: Axial-vector case
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Authors: S.S. Agaev, K. Azizi, H. Sundu
Journal: Physics Letters B
Year: 2025
Properties of the tensor state bc b̄ c̄
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Authors: S.S. Agaev, K. Azizi, H. Sundu
Journal: Physical Review D
Year: 2025
Decays of the light hybrid meson 1⁻⁺
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Authors: G.D. Esmer, K. Azizi, H. Sundu, S. Türkmen
Journal: Physical Review D
Year: 2025