About me

I am a freelance consultant and an independent researcher originally from Turkey, based in Switzerland. I have a PhD in Epidemiology from the Swiss Tropical and Public Health Institute (Swiss TPH), University of Basel/Switzerland, a Master degree in Public Health from the University of Bielefeld/Germany and Bachelor’s degree in Physical Therapy and Rehabilitation from the Istanbul University/Turkey.

I have been working in disaster risk management in academic institutions and in the field for more than 20 years, since the 1999 earthquakes in Turkey. Prior to launching the STY Consulting, I have worked at SwissTPH at different time periods and in different positions (research assistant, scientist, guest scientist) beginning from 2006 to 2019.

Between 2014 and 2017 I worked in Ankara as an Assistent Professor at the Hacettepe University, Institute of Public Health at the Department of Epidemiology and Department of Health Management in Disasters. I was the head of the latter for nearly three years. Before joining the Hacettepe University, I worked as a full-time consultant for nearly four years at the Turkish Ministry of Health (MoH), General Directorate of Emergency Health Services, where I was mainly responsible for developing new guidelines and templates for health disaster plans at provincial and hospital levels. Before that, I was a fellow of the United Nations University Environment and Human Security (UNU-EHS) Academy on Social Vulnerability (2007). I also worked as an intern at WHO–EURO Department of Disaster Preparedness and Response, after earning my MPH degree in 2004.

My main interest and expertise areas are disaster risk management, risk communication, migration health, and epidemiology.

I have published many original papers in peer-reviewed journals, and have contributed to 6 book chapters. I also acted as guideline editor. I am member in various national and international bodies and boards focusing on disaster preparedness and migration health. I have also consulted on these topics for NGOs and international organisations. I had several teaching appointments in the field of epidemiology and disaster management.

I can provide services in Turkish, English, and German.