Dr. Pelin Kuzucu, 32, was awarded the Young Neurosurgical Incentive Award, which was given for the first time this year on behalf of Prof. Dr. M. Gazi Yaşargil, named as the Neurosurgeon of the Century. Dr. Kuzucu, who received his award from Prof. Dr. Yaşargil, said, "I am very proud and happy. With this award, my motivation has increased. I know I have a long way to go, but thanks to this award, my speed has increased from 1 to 3."

In order to support and encourage studies in the field of 'Microneurosurgery and Microsurgery Anatomy' by Yeditepe University Faculty of Medicine, the award was given on 6 July, the birthday of Prof. Dr. M. Gazi Yaşargil was presented with a ceremony at a special night hosted by Prof. Dr. Hatice Türe and Prof. Dr. Uğur Türe in honor of their new age.

The evening was attended by Bedrettin Dalan, Founding Honorary President of the Bilgi Foundation and Yeditepe University, Yusuf Akgün, Prof. Dr. Canan Aykut Bingöl, Rector of Yeditepe University and his wife, Prof. Dr. M. Gazi Yaşargil and his wife, Prof. Dr. Uğur Türe, Head of Department of Neurosurgery, Prof. Dr. Hatice Türe, Anesthesiology Reanimation specialist, Prof. Dr. Sina Ercan, Dean of the Faculty of Medicine, Prof. Dr. Fahrettin Keleştemur, Chief Physician of Yeditepe University Koşuyolu Hospital, Prof. Dr. Faruk Yencilek, Yeditepe University Kozyatağı Hospital Chief Physician, Prof. Dr. Aynur Eren Topkaya, Chief Physicians and many distinguished guests.

A Special Stamp was Issued for Prof. Dr. M. Gazi Yaşargil on His Birthday

The stamp, which was specially issued by PTT on behalf of Prof. Dr. M. Gazi Yaşargil, was presented to the guests overnight. The professor's birthday cake was decorated with stamps printed on his name. In addition to Dr. Pelin Kuzucu, a graduate of Gazi University Faculty of Medicine, who was awarded the incentive award, Dr. Enes Gürses from Hacettepe University and Dr. Emrah Çeltikçi from Gazi University were also awarded the special award. Prof. Dr. Yaşargil, who personally presented the award to young surgeons, advised them to work tirelessly.  

Prof. Dr. Yaşargil: "If you are determined and honest, doors will open everywhere"

Speaking at the award ceremony, Prof. Dr. Gazi Yaşargil "This invitation is a unique event for me. I am just beyond happy! I lived abroad for almost 70 years. When people become ambitious, people see ambition. People I did not know helped me everywhere. It is not easy in the beginning, but if you are determined, honest, and constantly working, doors will open everywhere. While I was working full of longing for Türkiye, I always thought about my country and nation."

Bedrettin Dalan: "I have never seen a scientist so humble as Professor!"

Bedrettin Dalan, two faculties touch people; these are Medicine and Law, and he continued as follows: "As Vakıf University, we established the first Faculty of Medicine and Law. Prof. Dr. Uğur Türe is my spiritual son. They wanted us to come to Samsun. He was a little hesitant at first, but I said I would do whatever he wanted. I kept my promise, I built an operating room with all kinds of facilities. You can find the machine, but finding the right person is difficult. Our Head of the Department of Neurosurgery, Prof. Dr. Uğur Türe is the work of Professor Gazi. This incentive award was organized by Professor Uğur. Professor Gazi has taught a lot of physicians. I have never seen a scientist as humble as Professor Yaşargil. As a Turk, I am especially grateful for all the physicians he has trained. "I always say that when a person dies, the last person who remembers himself dies." Here, Professor Yaşargil will never die. The physicians trained by Yaşargil also train others."

Candidates Under 40 Who Made a Scientific Publication in 2021 Applied

Providing details of the competition, Prof. Dr. Uğur Türe said, "Today is the birthday of our Professor Gazi. May Allah give us a long life and not miss it. PTT printed a special commemorative stamp on behalf of our professor. You will see it for the first time today. We will also be presenting the Gazi Yaşargil Genç Neurosurgical Incentive Award for the first time. We thought this award should be given to a neurosurgeon younger than 40. We have prepared this award to give to a Turkish physician who published a scientific publication in the field of microneurosurgery last year. Applications were judged by an independent jury. So here we are today, hosting our winning friend. In addition, the writings of our second-place friends scored very close to each other. We have two-second ones. Our friends are here to meet our Professor and get an award. We will continue to give this award every year."

Dr. Pelin Kuzucu: I am extremely happy and still in shock

Dr. Kuzucu said, "I am very proud and happy. In this competition organized in the name of our Professor Gazi Yaşargil, there is nothing to describe our Professor's birthday and receiving an award from him. I graduated from Gazi University Faculty of Medicine in 2020. I will start working as a lecturer at Yıldırım Beyazıt University. I am happy to receive such an award as a woman on the path opened by Atatürk. With the award, my motivation increased, and my speed on the road increased from 1 to 3. Everyone I know who heard I was going to get an award called and congratulated me. It is already a dream to get a prize from Gazi Yaşargil. My family is also very happy and proud. When I first heard that I had won, I could not believe it, I was still in shock."

Dr. Kuzucu said, regarding his work that enabled him to win the competition, "There is a center in the brain where vital functions called hypothalamus are managed. In this center, we have done anatomical dissection studies on the nuclei and the pathways coming from the brain stem. According to the results of the study, we tried to show the excitability of the nuclei with deep brain stimulation surgery. Using pathways and nuclei that are not currently used, we aimed to help treat different ailments. Our study was published in the international journal SCI Operative Neurosurgery in 2021."

Prof. Dr. M. Gazi Yaşargil

He was born in 1925 in the town of Lice in Diyarbakır, where his father was district governor. Yasargil, the founder of micro-nerve surgery, discovered new methods of treating epilepsy and brain tumors. He was the first physician, chief physician, and then the president of the Department of Neurosurgery at Zurich University Hospital. He was selected as the 'Neurosurgeon of the Century' at the 1999 Congress of Traditional Neurosurgeons. Prof. Dr. M. Gazi Yaşargil has been continuing his surgical studies, lectures, conferences, laboratory studies, and professional publications in Yeditepe University Neurosurgery Department since 2013.
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