Aziz Sancar is a Turkish-American biochemist known for his research on DNA repair mechanisms. Born on September 8, 1946, in Savur, Turkey, he earned his medical degree from Istanbul University and later pursued a Ph.D. in molecular biology at University of Texas. His work has significantly advanced the understanding of how cells repair damaged DNA, which is crucial for cancer research. In 2015, Sancar was awarded the Nobel Prize in Chemistry alongside Tomas Lindahl and Paul L. Modrich for their contributions to the field of DNA repair. He is also a professor at University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, where he continues to conduct research and mentor students.