Deniz Koçan completed his Ph.D. in 2007 at the Department of Food Engineering, Faculty of Engineering, Ankara University. His doctoral thesis focused on improving culture media used for the detection of Listeria monocytogenes in foods. Appointed as an Assistant Professor (Dr. Öğr. Üyesi) at Aksaray University in 2009, Koçan continues his academic career as a researcher and faculty member within the Faculty of Engineering. Between 1997 and 2003, while working as a production engineer at an ice cream factory, he also completed his master’s degree, during which he focused on the effects of emulsifiers in ice cream. His primary research areas include food microbiology, food biotechnology, and functional foods. Koçan is a member of the Turkish Society of Microbiology and the Food Technology Association.