In particular, she examines the circulation and translation of Byzantine and Latin architectural techniques and forms in Islamic contexts. Since summer of 2009, she has been leading an unprecedented archaeological and cultural heritage management project in Bursa with the goal of reconstructing the city's historical strata. Dr. Cagaptay's work has been supported by institutions ranging from Dumbarton Oaks to MIT's Aga Khan Program for Islamic Architecture. She holds a PhD in architectural history and theory from the University of Illinois at Urbana–Champaign (2007) and an MA (2001) and BA (1998) from Bilkent University, Ankara.