Prof. Dr. Mert Erkan
General Surgery
About Mert Erkan
Prof. Mert Erkan is a Professor of General Surgery whose main areas of interest are hepatopancreatobiliary surgery and minimally invasive pancreatic surgery. He was appointed Professor of General Surgery at Koç University in 2017 and joined Acibadem Health Group in 2021. His clinical and academic work focuses on advanced pancreatic surgery, multidisciplinary care, and surgical research.
He has been a member of several professional organizations, including European Digestive Surgery (EDS) since 2003, European Pancreatic Club (EPC) since 2003, Deutscher Pankreas-Club (DPC) since 2003, International Hepato-Pancreato-Biliary Association (IHPBA) since 2001, International Association of Pancreatology (IAP) since 2003, and the Turkish Hepato-Pancreato-Biliary Surgery Association since 1998, where he served as Board Member from 2015 to 2017. He was also a member of the Deutsche Gesellschaft für Allgemein- und Viszeralchirurgie (DGAV) from 2007 to 2014, the Istanbul Medical Chamber from 1995 to 2021, and the Bursa Medical Chamber since 2021.
Education
- 2017 Professor of General Surgery, Koç University
- 2014 UAK Associate Professorship Equivalency
- 2011 Associate Professor of General Surgery, Technical University of Munich, Klinikum rechts der Isar
- 2010 Upper Specialization in Surgery of the Digestive System Technical University of Munich, Klinikum rechts der Isar
- 2007 PhD, University of Heidelberg: Summa cum laude (highest honors). Thesis: The influence of tumor modulated microenvironment on pancreatic cancer behavior.
- 2001 Istanbul University Istanbul Faculty of Medicine General Surgery
- 2001 General Surgery Specialist, Istanbul University, Istanbul Faculty of Medicine, Thesis: Retrospective evaluation of patients treated for iatrogenic biliary injury
- 1995 Istanbul University Istanbul Faculty of Medicine
Experience
- 2021 Acibadem Health Group
- 2014 – 2021 Koç University School of Medicine Research Laboratory
- 2014 – 2021 Koç University School of Medicine
- 2021 Pancreatic Cancer Research Center, Acıbadem Mehmet Ali Aydınlar University Istanbul Turkey
- 2017 – 2021 Koç University Translational Medicine Research Center
- 2017 – 2021 Koç University Institute of Health Sciences
- 2007 – 2014 Pancreas Research Center , Technical University of Munich
- 2007 – 2014 Technical University of Munich, Klinikum rechts der Isar
- 2003 – 2007 Heidelberg University, General Surgery
- 2003 – 2007 European Pancreas Research Center, University of Heidelberg
- 2001 – 2003 Istanbul University, Istanbul Faculty of Medicine, HPB Surgery Unit
- 1995 – 2001 Istanbul University, Istanbul Faculty of Medicine
Professional Memberships
- European Digestive Surgery/ EDS 2003-
- The European Consortium on Minimally Invasive Pancreatic Surgery
- Istanbul Medical Chamber 1995-2021
- Europan/African Hepato-Pancreato-Biliary Association Scientific and Research Committee Member: 2014 – Present / Program committee: 2015 – 2019 / Pancreatic terminology committee founding member 2021 – 2021
- Bursa Medical Chamber 2021
- Deutsche Gesellschaft für Allgemein- und Viszeralchirurgie (DGAV) 2007 – 2014
- European Pancreatic-Club/ EPC 2003-
- Deutscher Pankreas-Club/ DPC 2003-
- Turkish Hepato-Pancreato-Biliary Surgery Association: 1998 Board Member: 2015-2017
- International Hepato-Pancreato-Biliary Association (IHPBA) 2001-
- International Association of Pancreatology (IAP) 2003-
Selected Publications
- Intracellular autofluorescence: a biomarker for epithelial cancer stem cells. Manuel Hidalgo, Mert Erkan, …Nature methods 2014 (165) I Miranda-Lorenzo, J Dorado, E Lonardo, S Alcala, AG Serrano, Jenifer Clausell-Tormos, Michele Cioffi, Diego Megias, Sladjana Zagorac, Anamaria Balic,
- The role of stroma in pancreatic cancer: diagnostic and therapeutic implications. Nature reviews Gastroenterology & hepatology 2012 (476) M Erkan, S Hausmann, CW Michalski, AA Fingerle, M Dobritz, J Kleeff.
- StellaTUM: current consensus and discussion on pancreatic stellate cell research. Gut 2011 (365) M Erkan, G Adler, MV Apte, MG Bachem, M Buchholz, S Detlefsen, .
- Cancer-stellate cell interactions perpetuate the hypoxia-fibrosis cycle in pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma Neoplasia 2009 (294) M Erkan, C Reiser-Erkan, CW Michalski, S Deucker, D Sauliunaite,
- Northern blot analysis for detection and quantification of RNA in pancreatic cancer cells and tissues Nature protocols 2009 (162) S Streit, CW Michalski, M Erkan, J Kleeff, H Friess.
- The activated stroma index is a novel and independent prognostic marker in pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma. Clinical gastroenterology and hepatology 2008 (374) M Erkan, CW Michalski, S Rieder, C Reiser Erkan, I Abiatari, A Kolb
- Systematic review and meta-analysis of the role of defunctioning stoma in low rectal cancer surgery. Annals of surgery 2008 (592) N Hüser, CW Michalski, M Erkan, T Schuster, R Rosenberg, J Kleeff.
- Periostin creates a tumor-supportive microenvironment in the pancreas by sustaining fibrogenic stellate cell activity. Gastroenterology 2007 (330) M Erkan, J Kleeff, A Gorbachevski, C Reiser, T Mitkus, I Esposito, T Giese
- The neurotrophic factor artemin promotes pancreatic cancer invasion. Annals of surgery 2006 (159) GO Ceyhan, NA Giese, M Erkan, AG Kerscher, MN Wente, T Giese
- Loss of BNIP3 expression is a late event in pancreatic cancer contributing to chemoresistance and worsened prognosis. Oncogene 2005 (221) M Erkan, J Kleeff, I Esposito, T Giese, K Ketterer, MW Büchler, NA Giese, …
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