Yale Cancer Center's Dr. Murat Gunel, Nixdorff-German Professor and chair, department of neurosurgery, and professor of neurobiology and genetics, Yale School of Medicine; and chief, department of neurosurgery, Yale-New Haven Hospital, has been elected to the National Academy of Medicine.
Each year, the National Academy of Medicine (NAM) recognizes professionals who have made outstanding contributions in fields such as the medical sciences, health care and public health, and who have demonstrated a commitment to volunteer service. In addition to being an honorific society, NAM provides independent, objective analysis and advice to the nation that help guide public policy decisions related to health and medicine.
Dr. Günel’s clinical expertise in neurosurgery focuses on treating complex brain aneurysms and vascular malformations, as well as brain tumors. This is complemented by his research program that aims to discover the genetic basis of these disorders, as well as the discovery of genes fundamental in human brain cortical development.
In recent years, Dr. Günel has led international large-scale genome-wide association studies of intracranial aneurysms that identified several susceptibility genes. His research team has identified the DNA errors, or mutations, associated with meningiomas, the most common type of brain tumor, and glioblastoma, the most malignant brain tumor. This work has led to personalized treatments for brain tumor patients at Yale-New Haven Hospital (YNHH).
Dr. Günel earned his medical degree from Istanbul University and completed his internship and residency in neurosurgery at YNHH. Earlier this year, he was named chair of the School of Medicine’s Department of Neurosurgery and chief of neurosurgery at YNHH.