Merve is a Research Associate and currently engaged in an EPSRC-funded project at the University of Sheffield. This project is part of a collaborative effort between the UK and Japan to create innovative technologies for nuclear waste disposal. The central research hypothesis is that geopolymer binders can be designed to provide a robust and future-proof waste cementation matrix for long-term management and disposal of degraded fuels and contaminated wastes in Japan and the UK.

She completed her Ph.D. in Material Science and Engineering at the University of Sheffield where she focused on the "Composition and Process Development of Charge-Compensated Zirconolite for Plutonium Immobilisation". Her research contributed to advancing nuclear waste management technologies, particularly in the area of plutonium immobilization. Before pursuing her Ph.D., she received a scholarship from the Ministry of National Education, the Republic of Turkey, which supported her doctoral studies. After getting her BSc in Chemical Engineering at Ege University, she received her Master's degree in Polymer Science and Technology at Hacettepe University, Turkey, where she focused on developing adsorbents for uranium recovery from seawater.