Sercan Karabulut | Health Professions | Best Scholar Award

Assoc. Prof. Dr. Sercan Karabulut | Health Professions | Best Scholar Award

Akdeniz University School of Medicine | Turkey

Dr. Sercan Karabulut is an accomplished psychiatrist and academic currently serving at the Akdeniz University School of Medicine, Department of Psychiatry, Antalya, Turkey. He earned his Doctor of Medicine (MD) and completed his Psychiatry Residency at the İstanbul Medicine Faculty, where his scientific interest in the neurobiological mechanisms underlying mental disorders was first cultivated. Over the past decade, he has developed an exceptional academic and clinical career across leading institutions, including Antalya Atatürk State Hospital and Van Bölge Research and Training Hospital, focusing on the diagnosis, treatment, and prevention of psychiatric and substance use disorders. His primary research interests encompass addiction psychiatry, psychotic and mood disorders, neuroinflammation, and methamphetamine-related psychopathology, with a special focus on cognitive impairment and gender-based differences in substance use. Dr. Sercan Karabulut has authored 18 scientific publications, accumulating 195 citations from 193 documents and maintaining an h-index of 5, as indexed in Scopus (ID: 56073897200). His works have appeared in prominent journals, including Acta Neuropsychiatrica, Turkish Journal of Psychiatry, Journal of Drug Issues, and Alpha Psychiatry. Notable studies such as Inflammation and Neurodegeneration in Bipolar Disorder (2019) and Frequency of Methamphetamine Use (2024) have been widely cited and advanced the understanding of neuropsychiatric pathophysiology.

Profile: Scopus | ORCID | ResearchGate

Featured Publications

  1. Karabulut, S., Uzar Uçkun, S., & Genç, H. (2025, October). One year follow-up study of patients with opioid use disorder after inpatient detoxification: Predictors of treatment retention and abstinence. Psychiatry Research. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.psychres.2025.116765

  2. Erdoğan, A., Karabulut, S., Coşkun, M. N., & Tosun, O. (2025, October). Clinical factors associated with craving in patients with opioid use disorder receiving buprenorphine-naloxone maintenance therapy. Journal of Substance Use. https://doi.org/10.1080/14659891.2025.2568066

  3. Bilici, R., Ergelen Yalçın, M., Karabulut, S., & Arpacioglu, S. (2025, September). Validity and reliability study of the Turkish version of the Addiction Severity Index. Dusunen Adam: The Journal of Psychiatry and Neurological Sciences, 38, 180–186. https://doi.org/10.14744/DAJPNS.2025.00289

  4. Düzgün, M., Erdoğan, A., Karabulut, S., & Şafak, E. (2025, August). The impact of smartphone addiction and social media addiction on traffic safety. Journal of Public Health. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10389-025-02578-y

  5. Karabulut, S., & Uzar Uçkun, S. (2025, June). The association between Theory of Mind, psychopathic traits, borderline personality traits and the severity of substance use disorder in women: A comparative analysis. Alpha Psychiatry, 26(3), 44175. https://doi.org/10.31083/AP44175

 

Andrej Sirek | Medicine and Health Sciences | Best Researcher Award

Dr. Andrej Sirek | Medicine and Health Sciences | Best Researcher Award

University Hospital Basel | Switzerland

Dr. Andrej Sirek is a dedicated Pathology Resident at the University Hospital Basel, Institute of Medical Genetics and Pathology, where he is actively shaping his career at the intersection of clinical diagnostics and medical research. With his educational foundation built in leading European institutions, Dr. Andrej Sirek has developed a strong grounding in medical genetics, histopathology, and laboratory sciences, which now supports his dual role as both clinician and researcher. His residency provides him with exposure to complex pathology cases while also allowing him to engage in research that seeks to bridge genetic profiling and diagnostic pathology, with the long-term aim of contributing to precision medicine and early disease detection. Currently, he has completed one research project and is progressing with another, both expected to yield indexed publications in the near future. Despite being at an early stage of his academic career, his commitment to innovation in pathology has already been recognized with a nomination for the Best Researcher Award. He maintains active membership in several professional organizations, including SGPATH, ÖGPATH, SGZ, and ESP, which strengthens his global collaborations and engagement with the wider pathology community. While he has yet to publish peer-reviewed articles, his ongoing research demonstrates his potential to make impactful contributions to the field. His academic and professional journey underscores the promise of a new generation of clinician-scientists who integrate advanced diagnostic techniques with research innovation to improve patient care. Dr. Andrej Sirek’s trajectory highlights his dedication, scholarly potential, and commitment to excellence in pathology and medical genetics.

Profile: ORCID

Featured Publications

Dr. Andrej Sirek has contributed to impactful research in pathology, focusing on diagnostic innovations, tumor biology, and clinicopathological correlations. Key recent publications include:

Sirek, A., Hench, I. B., Hench, J., Alborelli, I., Gross, M. W., Jakscha, J., Schaller, P., Nagel, G., Baumhoer, D., & Tzankov, A. (2025). Recurrent clonal radiotherapy-associated fibroepithelial polyp of the pharynx: Do low grade radiogenic stromal tumours exist? Case report.

Sobottka, B., Vetter, V., Banaei-Esfahani, A., Nowak, M., Lorch, A., Sirek, A., Mertz, K. D., Brunelli, M., Berthold, D., de Leval, L., et al. (2024). Immune phenotype-genotype associations in primary clear cell renal cell carcinoma and matched metastatic tissue.

Fatemeh Shirani | Medicine and Health Sciences | Women Researcher Award

Dr. Fatemeh Shirani | Medicine and Health Sciences | Women Researcher Award

Endocrine and Metabolism Research Center | Iran

Dr. Fatemeh Shirani is a distinguished scholar in the field of Nutritional Sciences, renowned for her groundbreaking contributions to clinical nutrition, dietary epidemiology, and metabolic health. She has consistently advanced the understanding of how diet and nutrition influence chronic disease prevention and treatment, with a strong emphasis on obesity, diabetes, and cardiovascular disease. Through her innovative research and global collaborations, she has established herself as a thought leader whose work bridges scientific evidence with practical dietary strategies for public health. Currently serving at the Endocrine and Metabolism Research Center of Isfahan University of Medical Sciences, she has become a role model for women in science through her dedication, mentorship, and international engagement.

Professional Profile

Google Scholar

ORCID

Education

Dr. Fatemeh Shirani completed her academic journey with distinction in Nutritional Sciences, earning her foundational and advanced degrees from leading Iranian institutions. She further enriched her expertise through doctoral-level research at Ahvaz Jundishapur University of Medical Sciences, where she focused on the intricate links between nutrition and chronic diseases. Her academic training was complemented by international research at Victoria University in Melbourne, Australia, where she deepened her skills in nutritional biomedicine and clinical research methodologies. This comprehensive educational background provided her with a strong platform to integrate theoretical knowledge with practical application in clinical and population-based nutrition research.

Experience

Dr. Fatemeh Shirani has accumulated extensive experience across research, teaching, and scientific service. She has contributed to large-scale community-based projects, such as national nutrition surveys and heart health programs, aimed at improving public health outcomes through evidence-based interventions. As a dedicated educator, she has taught undergraduate and graduate students, instilling in them the principles of basic nutrition, clinical dietetics, and community health. Her expertise extends to laboratory techniques such as PCR and cell culture, which she has applied to translational nutrition studies. Beyond academia, she has actively participated as a reviewer for prestigious international journals, shaping the quality of published science in her field. Her professional journey reflects a balance of teaching, research, community service, and scientific leadership.

Research Interests

Dr. Fatemeh Shirani’s research interests lie at the intersection of nutrition, epidemiology, and chronic disease management. She is deeply invested in exploring obesity and weight-loss strategies, nutritional interventions for diabetes and metabolic disorders, and the role of diet in preventing cardiovascular disease. Her work also investigates the emerging field of “infectobesity,” examining the connections between viral infections and obesity. By employing systematic reviews, meta-analyses, and clinical trials, she provides high-quality evidence that informs dietary recommendations and policy guidelines. Her studies not only address the biological mechanisms of nutrition-related diseases but also emphasize the translation of findings into practical interventions for populations at risk.

Awards

Dr. Fatemeh Shirani has been widely recognized for her contributions to nutritional sciences, particularly her ability to merge clinical expertise with public health perspectives. Her nomination for the Women Researcher Award reflects her outstanding achievements in advancing women’s representation in scientific leadership and her sustained impact on global nutrition research. She has consistently demonstrated excellence through her publications, conference presentations, and active participation in national and international nutrition societies. This recognition highlights not only her scientific accomplishments but also her commitment to mentoring young researchers and fostering collaborative networks across borders.

Publication

Dr. Fatemeh Shirani has produced a rich body of work that has been widely cited in international literature. Selected publications include:

Title: Effects of Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension (DASH)-style diet on fatal or nonfatal cardiovascular diseases incidence: a systematic review and meta-analysis
Journal: Nutrition
Published on: 2013
Citation: 482

Title: The effect of dietary approaches to stop hypertension (DASH) diet on weight and body composition in adults: a systematic review and meta‐analysis of randomized controlled trials
Journal: Obesity Reviews
Published on: 2016
Citation: 308

Title: Effects of Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension (DASH) diet on some risk for developing type 2 diabetes: a systematic review and meta-analysis on controlled clinical trials
Journal: Nutrition
Published on: 2013
Citation: 288

Title: The role of magnesium in sleep health: a systematic review of available literature
Journal: Biological Trace Element Research
Published on: 2023
Citation: 104

Title: Is phase angle a valuable prognostic tool in cancer patients’ survival? A systematic review and meta-analysis of available literature
Journal: Clinical Nutrition
Published on: 2021
Citation: 98

Title: Vinegar consumption can attenuate postprandial glucose and insulin responses; a systematic review and meta-analysis of clinical trials
Journal: Diabetes Research and Clinical Practice
Published on: 2017
Citation: 95

Title: Effects of concentrated pomegranate juice on subclinical inflammation and cardiometabolic risk factors for type 2 diabetes: A quasi-experimental study
Journal: International Journal of Endocrinology and Metabolism
Published on: 2016
Citation: 55

Conclusion

In conclusion, Dr. Fatemeh Shirani stands as a leading figure in nutritional sciences whose contributions have advanced both research and practice in the prevention and management of chronic diseases. Her ability to translate complex scientific findings into practical dietary strategies has had a lasting impact on public health. With her strong publication record, global collaborations, and dedication to mentorship, she exemplifies the qualities of an outstanding woman researcher. Her nomination for the Women Researcher Award reflects not only her academic excellence but also her leadership, vision, and commitment to improving health outcomes through nutrition science.