Prof. Dr. Korkut Ulucan, PhD

Professor of Molecular Genetics

Born 1976 in Istanbul, Prof. Dr. Korkut Ulucan’s first university degree was in Biology Teaching. He graduated from Marmara University in 1999, where he stayed and moved into medical biology and genetics. This meant returning to student life while already beginning to work inside the university. His master’s degree followed in 2003. Six years later, in 2009, he completed his doctorate at Marmara University Faculty of Medicine.

The subject had changed, but his earlier training was not wasted. Biology remained the base. Teaching remained part of the job too.

Today, his work covers molecular genetics, medical genetics, pharmacogenetics, nutritional genetics, sports genetics and gene doping.

Nine Years at Marmara University Faculty of Dentistry

In 2000, one year after finishing his undergraduate degree, Korkut Ulucan began working as a research assistant at Marmara University Faculty of Dentistry.
He remained there until 2009.

This period overlapped almost completely with his postgraduate education. On one side, there were the formal requirements of a master’s and doctoral programme. On the other, there was the everyday work of a university department: laboratory studies, research, students, academic meetings and the less visible routines behind published work.

His department was Medical Biology and Genetics, within the Faculty of Dentistry’s Basic Medical Sciences division. The setting also brought molecular genetics into contact with dentistry, oral health and general medical biology.
By the time he received his PhD, he had already spent nine years working inside the university.

A Period in Biotechnology

After the doctorate, Prof. Dr. Ulucan did not move directly into another permanent university position.
From 2009 until 2012, he worked as a consultant for biotechnology companies.

It was a different environment from university research. Scientific ideas that appear straightforward in a paper often look quite different when they have to be used in a laboratory, developed into a product or explained outside an academic department.
In 2012, he returned to university teaching.

He joined Üsküdar University Faculty of Engineering and Natural Sciences as a member of the Department of Molecular Biology and Genetics. He worked there between 2012 and 2014.

In 2014, he received the academic title of Associate Professor in Molecular Genetics. His later career brought him back to Marmara University Faculty of Dentistry. He also continued his connection with Üsküdar University, where he currently teaches part-time.

What Prof. Dr. Korkut Ulucan Works On

A large part of Prof. Dr. Ulucan’s work concerns variation between people.
The question may involve a medicine. One patient benefits from it, while another has side effects. It may involve training. Two athletes follow a similar programme, yet their progress is not the same. Food, metabolism and recovery can also differ considerably from one person to another.

Genes may be involved in such differences.
Sometimes their influence is measurable. Sometimes it is small. In many situations, lifestyle, health, age and environmental factors matter just as much.
This is why Prof. Dr. Ulucan’s work extends across several related subjects rather than remaining inside one narrow area.

His main academic fields include:

• Molecular genetics
• Medical genetics
• Pharmacogenetics
• Sports genetics
• Nutritional genetics
• Gene doping
• Biotechnology
• Genotype–phenotype relationships
• Neurogenetics
• Personalised medicine

The fields often meet. A gene involved in medication metabolism may also be studied in nutrition or athletic performance. A variation found in a research group may be important, or it may have little practical effect for an individual person.
Finding the variation is only the beginning. Understanding it is the more difficult part.

Sports Genetics

Sports genetics is one of the areas most closely associated with Prof. Dr. Korkut Ulucan.
His research in this field looks at inherited differences that may be relevant to muscle structure, strength, endurance, caffeine metabolism or recovery after training.

Some of his academic work has examined gene variants in professional cyclists and other groups of athletes. Recent conference studies listed by Üsküdar University include research into CYP1A2, a gene involved in caffeine metabolism, and MSTN, a gene associated with the regulation of muscle development.

The subject attracts attention because it appears to offer simple answers.
Can a genetic test show which sport a child should choose? Can it identify a future champion? Can a person’s speed or endurance be read from a DNA sample?
Not with certainty.

There is no single gene for sporting success. A genetic result may provide a clue. It may help researchers understand why one person responds differently from another. It cannot write an athlete’s future in advance.

Pharmacogenetics

The same medication does not produce exactly the same result in every person.
One patient may respond well to a standard dose. Another may receive little benefit. Someone else may experience side effects.
Pharmacogenetics studies whether inherited differences in drug-metabolising enzymes, transport systems or receptors are part of the reason.
A genetic result may add information. It does not replace the treating physician.

Neurogenetics and Genotype – Phenotype Research

Part of Prof. Dr. Ulucan’s recent work has moved towards neurogenetics and neuropsychiatric conditions.

Projects listed by Üsküdar University include research involving schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, autism and genetic variations that may be connected with these conditions. Other projects have examined genotype–phenotype relationships and genetic susceptibility panels in neurogenetic cases. The connection between the two is rarely simple.

Two people may carry the same variation and still show different symptoms. A variation may increase susceptibility without directly causing a condition. In other cases, several genes and environmental influences may be involved at the same time.
This is one reason why genetic results need context. A laboratory report alone may not explain what is happening in an individual person.

Nutritional Genetics

Prof. Dr. Ulucan also teaches nutritional genetics.
This field considers whether inherited differences influence metabolism and the way the body handles certain nutrients.

Caffeine is a familiar example. Some people can drink coffee late in the day and sleep without difficulty. Others continue to feel its effects many hours later.
Genetic differences may explain part of this variation.

The same principle may apply to certain vitamins, fats and other substances. Yet a DNA sample cannot provide a complete nutrition plan.
Eating habits matter. So do blood results, physical activity, medical conditions, age and lifestyle.
Nutritional genetics may contribute another piece of information. It does not remove the need to look at the person as a whole.

Gene Doping

Gene doping is another subject included in Prof. Dr. Ulucan’s teaching and academic work.
It should not be confused with gene therapy.

Gene therapy is developed for medical purposes, usually to treat or prevent disease. Gene doping refers to the possible misuse of genes, genetic material or related biological methods to improve athletic performance in healthy people.
The desired effect might be greater muscle mass, improved oxygen transport, increased endurance or faster recovery.
The actual result could be very different.

Genetic interventions may cause effects that are difficult to control or reverse. The long-term risks are not always known. There are also serious concerns about fairness, athlete safety and the misuse of medical technologies.
As genetic methods develop, the line between treatment and performance enhancement needs to remain clear.

Teaching at Marmara and Üsküdar Universities

Teaching has been part of Prof. Dr. Ulucan’s work since the beginning of his career.
His courses and seminars include:

• Medical genetics
• Molecular genetics
• Pharmacogenetics
• Nutritional genetics
• Sports genetics
• Gene doping

The lessons are not limited to learning the names of genes.
Students also need to understand how a genetic variation was identified, how many people were included in a study and whether the same finding has been repeated elsewhere.
A result may be statistically significant but have little importance in daily life.
Another finding may be relevant for a group but not useful for making predictions about one individual.
These distinctions matter.

Research and Academic Supervision

Research has accompanied Prof. Dr. Korkut Ulucan throughout his professional life.

Some projects begin with one particular gene variant. Others examine several variations within a group of patients or athletes. His work has covered sport, metabolism, psychiatric conditions, neurological disease and personalised treatment research.

Üsküdar University currently lists projects involving autism, bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, psychosis, substance dependence and genetic susceptibility in neuropsychiatric disease.
Results do not always provide a neat conclusion.

A variation may appear important in one population but not in another. It may be connected with a condition without being its direct cause. Sometimes a study raises more questions than it answers.
That is normal in genetics.
Research is not only the search for positive findings. It also involves recognising when the evidence is weak, incomplete or not yet suitable for use outside a scientific setting.

Reading Genetic Results Carefully

Genetic testing can provide valuable information. It can also be overinterpreted.
A genetic tendency is not the same as a diagnosis.

An association with athletic performance does not guarantee talent. A variation connected with medication metabolism does not automatically determine the correct drug. A possible susceptibility to disease does not mean that the disease will certainly develop.

Genes work alongside other genes. Environment, lifestyle, health and age also influence the final result.
For this reason, genetic information needs careful interpretation.
The question is not simply whether a variation is present.
The more useful questions are: How strong is the evidence? What does the variation actually affect? Is it relevant for this person? What remains unknown?

Current Academic Roles of Prof. Dr. Korkut Ulucan

Prof. Dr. Korkut Ulucan continues his academic work in medical biology and genetics, combining research, teaching and scientific supervision. His career also includes biotechnology consultancy and many years of university education. In addition, he contributes to continuing medical education by giving seminars for physicians and appearing as a guest speaker at professional meetings and training programmes.

Professional Memberships of Prof. Dr. Korkut Ulucan

Prof. Dr. Korkut Ulucan has been affiliated with several national and international scientific organisations in the fields of genetics, medical biology and biochemistry. His professional affiliations include:

• Turkish Society of Medical Genetics
• Society of Medical Biology and Genetics
• Turkish Biochemical Society
• European Society of Human Genetics
• AIDS Combat Association

Prof. Dr. Korkut Ulucan also served on the board of the AIDS Combat Association between 2004 and 2007 and was responsible for its financial affairs from 2005 to 2007.