Nalan Yurtsever

Nalan Yurtsever, MD, is a laboratory medicine specialist with expertise in transfusion support for both the general population and special patient groups, including individuals with sickle cell disease—an inherited blood disorder that leads to misshapen red blood cells and complications such as anemia and pain crises.

She also oversees apheresis services, providing red cell exchange, plasma exchange, and stem cell and CAR-T collections for patients, primarily those with hematologic and neurological diseases.

Dr. Yurtsever earned her medical degree from Ankara University School of Medicine in Turkey. She completed her anatomic and clinical pathology residency at the Zucker School of Medicine at Hofstra/Northwell and a transfusion medicine fellowship at Yale New Haven Hospital. She is board certified in anatomic and clinical pathology as well as transfusion medicine.

She currently serves as director of the Clinical Pathology Laboratory at Bridgeport Hospital’s Milford Campus, where she works to enhance the quality and accuracy of laboratory results. She is dedicated to improving diagnostic processes and ensuring that laboratory testing supports effective patient care.

Drawn to laboratory and transfusion medicine for its unique role in bridging direct patient care and diagnostic support, Dr. Yurtsever is committed to improving laboratory quality to enhance both diagnosis and treatment. Through her oversight of apheresis services, she provides direct supervision and care to patients undergoing specialized procedures.

As an assistant professor of laboratory medicine at Yale School of Medicine, Dr. Yurtsever conducts research focused on improving the management and treatment of patients requiring chronic transfusions. Her work aims to advance testing methods and deepen the understanding of transfusion-related challenges to improve patient outcomes. Her secondary research interests include leveraging laboratory databases to support long-term patient care, enable early diagnosis, and improve the prediction of health outcomes.

With a strong passion for research and innovation, Yale provides the ideal environment for Dr. Yurtsever to integrate clinical care, laboratory administration, translational research, and trainee mentorship.