My Life in Burns»
Transplantation in Turkey »


    Mehmet A Haberal, MD, FACS, FICS (Hon)
    1944 Born in Subaşı, a village in the Pazar district of the Province of Rize, Turkey

    1967 Graduated from Ankara University Medical School, Ankara, Turkey

    1971 Conferred title of General Surgeon Specialist, Hacettepe University, October

    1973 Served as a Fellow at the Shriner’s Burns Institute and the John Seally Hospital in Galveston, Texas, USA

    1974-75 Served as a Fellow at the Colorado University Medical School Transplantation Center, January 1, 1974 to June 30, 1975

    1975

    Established the Burn and Transplantation Unit at Hacettepe University Hospital, Department of General Surgery, July
                           
    Performed the first living-related kidney transplantation in Turkey, transplanting a graft from a mother to her 12-year-old child; Hacettepe University Hospital, Department of General Surgery, November 3
                           
    Elected as the National Representative for the International Society for Burn Injuries (ISBI)


    1976 Conferred title of Associate Professor of General Surgery, Hacettepe University

    1978 Performed the first cadaver-kidney transplantation in Turkey with an organ provided by Eurotransplant, October 10

    1979

    Key player in the passage of Parliamentary Law 2238, enacted June 3, 1979, which validated regulations concerning the harvesting, storage, grafting, and transplantation of organs and tissues
                           
    Performed the first domestic cadaver-kidney transplantation in Turkey, with an organ from a citizen who had died in a traffic accident, July 27
                           
    Organized the first meeting of the National Burn Congress in Ankara, May 26-27


    1980 Established the Turkish Organ Transplantation and Burn Foundation, September 4

    1982

    Enacted Law 2594, added to Law 2238, which included new articles enabling cadaveric organ transplantation without consent of the next of kin, for persons who have died in car accidents or natural disasters, and those whose relatives cannot be found, January 21

    Established the first hemodialysis center in Ankara through the Turkish Organ Transplantation and Burn Foundation, March 12
                           
    Conferred title of Full Professor of General Surgery, Hacettepe University

    Chosen to be both a member of the Executive Committee and the representative for the Eastern Mediterranean Area for the ISBI


    1983 Organized the first scientific transplantation meeting in Ankara, Turkey

    Conducted unprecedented research trails on organ cold ischemia time; first case in the medical literature of a successful cold kidney organ ischemia time of up to 111 hours

    Awarded the Sedat Simavi Foundation award for outstanding medical contributions


    1984

    Founding member of the Mediterranean Burns Club
                           
    Established the Middle East Dialysis and Organ Transplantation Foundation (MEDOTF) to facilitate organ sharing and procurement in the Middle East


    1985

    Organized the first meeting of the Middle East Dialysis and Organ Transplantation Foundation, Istanbul, Turkey, November 17-20
                           
    Established the Turkish Organ Transplantation and Burn Foundation Hospital in Ankara, Turkey, September 16
                           
    Received the Everett Idris Evans Memorial Award from the American Burn Association


    1986

    Elected as Associate Secretary General of the ISBI

    Established the Istanbul Dialysis Center, February

    Established the Haberal Educational Foundation, September
                           
    Accepted as a Fellow of the American College of Surgeons (FACS)


    1987

    Founder and President of the Middle East Society for Organ Transplantation (MESOT)
                           


    1988

    Organized the first Regional Eastern Mediterranean Burn Meeting in Istanbul, Turkey

    Organized the first meeting of the Middle East Society for Organ Transplantation in Ankara, Turkey, November 2-4
                           
    Performed the first successful cadaver-liver transplantation in Turkey and the region, December 8

     

    1989 Established the Adana Dialysis Center

    1990

    Founder and President of the Turkish Transplantation Society, October
                          
    Performed the first pediatric segmental living-related liver transplantation in Turkey, the region, and in Europe, March 15
                           
    Performed the first adult segmental living-related liver transplantation in the world, April 24



    1992

    Performed combined liver-kidney transplantation from a living-related donor, the first operation of its kind anywhere in the world, May 16
                           
    Conferred membership in the New York Academy of Sciences

     

    1993

    Established Baskent University* under the aegis of the Turkish Organ Transplantation and Burn Foundation and the Haberal Educational Foundation
                           
    Opened Başkent University Physical Therapy and Rehabilitation Center in Ankara, Turkey


    1994 Opened Başkent University Zübeyde Hanım Teaching and Medical Research Center in Izmir on September 3

    1995 Established the Turkish Burn and Fire Disaster Society in Turkey

    1998

    Opened Başkent University Dialysis Center in Yalova, Turkey, the first medical facility of this type devoted to servicing a smaller rural community in Turkey, June
                           
    Opened the Başkent University Hospital in Adana, Turkey, June
                           
    Established the Middle East Burn and Fire Disaster Society


    1999 Opened Başkent University College (preschool to high school levels) in Ankara, Turkey

    2000

    Opened the Başkent University Hospital in Alanya, Antalya, Turkey, July
                           
    Received the Millennium Medal for recognition of contributions to the development of organ transplantation in Turkey and throughout the world by the International Transplantation Society in Rome, August
                           
    Opened Başkent University College (preschool to high school levels) in Adana, Turkey

    Opened a new Başkent University Hospital building in Ankara, November 20
                           
    Established the Transplant Games Society, April 20


    2002

    Opened Başkent University Adana Seyhan Hospital, Adana, Turkey
                           
    Established the Society of Clinical and Experimental Research, January 14


    2003

    Honorary Fellowship in the American Surgical Association (ASA)
                           
    Opened Başkent University Konya Hospital, Konya, Turkey


    2004 Member of the Academy of Surgical Research (Turkey Representative)

    Launched a TV channel, “Channel B,” a radio channel, “Radio Baskent,” and a news agency, “Baskent News Agency

    Elected President-Elect of the International Society for Burn Injuries (ISBI) in 2004 in August, in Japan. The Presidential term of office will begin in September 2006 and end in 2008


    2005 Honorary Fellowship in the International College of Surgeons (ICS)

    2006

    Honorary Doctorate in the Azerbaijan Medical University

    Elected as Councillor for The Transplantation Society Global Region, Middle East and North Africa

    Conferred the title of Honoris Causa (Doctor of Science – D. Sc.) by the  University of Karachi, Pakistan

    Visiting Professor, The Johns Hopkins Hospital

    Visiting Professor, The Massachusetts General Hospital

    Elected as President of the Middle East Burn and Fire Disaster Society (MEBFDS)               

    Granted Honorary Membership by the Board of Directors of Brazilian    Burn Society (Sociedade Brasileira de Queimaduras, SBQ)
         
    Elected to membership in the International Surgical Group    
    Given Lifetime Achievement Award by Kuwaiti Minister of 
    Health, Shaikh Ahmad Al-Abdulla Al-Sabah

    Began term of President of International Society for Burn Injuries (ISBI).  Term of office will began in September 2006 and ends in September 2008.


    2007

    Organized the First Meeting of the Society of Innate Immunity, Ankara

    Organized New Key Opinion Leader Meeting of the Transplantation Society, Ankara

    Organized 9th Meeting of the Turkish Transplantation Society, Ankara

    Organized Symposium on Surgical Education and Quality, Ankara

    Organized International College of Surgeons European Federation Turkey Section Meeting, Antalya

    Received an Award for Medical Contribution to Organ Donation and Transplantation from Turkish Minister of Health, Prof. Dr. Recep Akdağ,

    Received an Award form The First National Burns Week in Dubai

    Established a Liaison Office in Munich, Germany

     

    2008

    Received an Award for Medical Contribution to Organ Donation and Kidney Transplantation from Prince Abdulaziz Bin Salman of Saudi Arabia

    Received an Award for Medical Contribution to Organ Donation and Liver Transplantation from Prince Raad Bin Zeid of Jordan

    Received an Award for Medical Contribution to Organ Donation and Transplantation from Prof. Dr. Fikri Canoruç, President of Dicle University

    Visiting Professor, Washington University and Harborview Burn Center
     
    Opened Baskent University Umitkoy Policlinic

    Awarded Honorary Membership of the Czech Medical Association

    Award a plaque as Guest of Honor from the Sindh Institute of Urology and Transplantation
                     
    Awarded Honorary Membership of the Academy of Medical Sciences of Iran

    Received an Award for Medical Contribution to Organ Donation and Transplantation from the Middles East Society for Organ Transplantation



    OTHER ACHIEVEMENTS TO DATE:

    As of November 22, 2008, had performed 1730 renal and 320 liver transplantations

    Organized 22 national and international scientific meetings in Turkey

    Currently, a member of 35 national and international medical societies

    Recipient of 25 national and international awards in medicine

    Author of 1428 Turkish and English scientific publications, 2 English and 4 Turkish books


    EDITORSHIPS:

    Editor-in-Chief of the medical journal, Dialysis, Transplantation and Burn, the official journal of the Turkish Transplantation Society and the Turkish Burn and Fire Disaster Society

    Editor-in-Chief of Experimental and Clinical Transplantation, the official journal of the MESOT, indexed by MEDLINE/PubMed, EMBASE

    Guest Editor of Transplantation Proceedings, 1996: Edited the proceedings of a meeting that commemorated the 20th anniversary of the first transplantation in Turkey

    Guest Editor of Transplantation Proceedings, 1998: Edited the proceedings of the 4th Congress of the Turkish Transplantation Society

    Guest Editor of Transplantation Proceedings, 2000: Edited the proceedings of the 5th Congress of the Turkish Transplantation Society

    Guest Editor of Transplantation Proceedings, 2002: Edited the proceedings of the Joint Meeting of the Turkish Transplantation Society and Eurotransplant

    Guest Editor of Transplantation Proceedings, 2004: Edited the proceedings of the Joint Meeting of the Turkish Transplantation Society and Eurotransplant

    Guest Editor of Transplantation Proceedings, 2005: Edited the proceedings of the IXth Congress of the MESOT

    Guest Editor of Transplantation Proceedings, 2006: Edited the proceedings of the 8th Meeting of the Turkish Transplantation Society

    Guest Editor of Transplantation Proceedings, 2008: Edited the proceedings of the 9th Meeting of the Turkish Transplantation Society

    Editorial Board Member of the International Medical Journal

    Editorial Board Member of the Urology Journal

    Editorial Board Member of the Journal of Investigative Surgery

    Editorial Board Member of Clinical Transplantation

    Editorial Board Member of Transplantation Proceedings

    International Editorial Board Member of the Journal of Burn Care and Rehabilitation

    Advisory Board Member of Saudi Journal of Kidney Diseases

    International Board of Consultant of the Archives of Iranian Medicine

    Editorial Board Member of Journal of Burns and Wounds

    Editorial Review Board Member of American Journal of Disaster Medicine



    *BASKENT UNIVERSITY
    Instituted the following:

    In Education
    • 11 faculties (including faculty of medicine)
    • 7 institutes (including Transplantation and Genetic Sciences Institute)
    • 3 vocational schools
    • 1 preparatory school
    • 2 colleges
    In Health
    • 10 hospitals (all with dialysis centers)
    • 13 additional independent dialysis centers (all of which are located in cities throughout the country)
    • 1 policlinic
    • A liaison office in Munich, Germany, which is being represented by Dr. Walter Land, transplant surgeon
    In Media
    • A TV channel, Channel B
    • A radio channel, Radio Baskent
    • A news agency, Baskent News Agency
    In Tourism
    • 2 luxury hotels (1 is a spa)
    In Production
    • 2 holdings and more than 20 companies
    • Baskent University Transplantation and Genetic Sciences Institute Integrated Facilities:
      • A milk production factory
      • An  experimental animal breeding center (pig, rat, rabbit, hamster, guinea pig)
      • A large agricultural farm
      • A cow farm
      • A quail farm
      • A bee farm
    Textiles
    • Textile workshop
    • Work clothes shop
    Chemicals
    • A dialysis solution factory
    Others
    • A gas station
    • A woodworking shop
    • An ironworks
    The University currently
    • has an annual budget greater than USD $300 million
    • employs more than 8500 people
    Hobbies
    • Swimming
    • Climbing
    • Photography