The Interdisciplinary Translational Medicine Ph.D. Program commenced in the Spring semester of the 2019-2020 academic year. In the field of Translational Medicine, recognized as one of the Priority Areas by the Council of Higher Education (YÖK), three students within our university continue their studies under the YÖK 100/2000 Ph.D. Scholarship Program.
As the first department in Turkey to offer an interdisciplinary Ph.D. program in Translational Medicine, it encompasses fields such as Biotechnology, Bioinformatics, and Biomedical Engineering. The program, which includes students from diverse scientific backgrounds, aims to serve as a model by providing an interdisciplinary education approach supported by its academic staff and strategic vision.
The initial staff of our Department consisted of 3 Professors, 2 Associate Professors, 1 Assistant Professor, and 1 Advisor (Chief Technology, Syncsort). Over time, 4 Professors and 4 Associate Professors joined our program. As of 2024, our Department has graduated its first student. Additionally, our program includes 1 Research Assistant in Priority Areas, 21 PhD students, 2 Integrated PhD students, and 3 YÖK 100/2000 PhD students.

Upon successfully completing the program and fulfilling the program requirements, the student will be awarded a Ph.D. in Interdisciplinary Translational Medicine.

Third Cycle

To apply for the PhD program, candidates must hold a bachelor´s or master´s degree from the Faculties of Science, Arts and Science, Engineering, or Health Sciences, or a specialization degree from the Faculties of Pharmacy, Medicine, Dentistry, or Veterinary Medicine. Additionally, applicants must obtain a minimum score of 55 or higher in the ALES or an equivalent exam, as determined by the Senate. For graduates of doctoral programs, art qualifications, medical specialization, dental specialization, veterinary specialization, or pharmacy specialization, ALES is not required. However, for these applicants, a score will be determined, regardless of the score type or the specialization field of the previous program, with a minimum of 55. This score will be published as part of the program´s requirements. These candidates may apply to a different field than the one they originally specialized in, and the published score will be used in calculations as an ALES score, regardless of the score type. Applicants with a bachelor´s degree must have an ALES score of at least 80 points in the relevant program’s score type. Additionally, they must achieve at least 55 points in an internationally recognized foreign language exam, such as those accepted by the Council of Higher Education (YÖK) or equivalent exams recognized by ÖSYM. Foreign applicants are required to provide a Turkish language proficiency certificate and ALES results issued by the Turkish and Foreign Language Application and Research Centers (TÖMER). In the application process, in addition to the ALES score, a written scientific evaluation exam and/or an interview result, as well as the applicant’s master´s degree GPA (for those applying with a master´s degree), may also be considered. The rules for this evaluation, along with other application requirements and student acceptance conditions, will be determined by the regulations set by the relevant senate. Applicants with a bachelor´s degree must have a minimum GPA of 3.00 (out of 4.00) or an equivalent score. For those applying with a master´s degree, a minimum GPA of 2.25 (out of 4.00) or an equivalent score is required. All applicants will undergo a preliminary evaluation based on their ALES score and graduation GPA (with ALES weighted at 50% and GPA weighted at 50%). Based on this evaluation, candidates who score at least 70 points will be invited to the entrance exam. For admission to the Translational Medicine PhD program, in addition to the admission and registration requirements determined by the Institute of Health Sciences, applicants may also submit reference letters, a CV, and a statement of purpose.

The provisions in “Regulation on Transfer among Associate and Undergraduate Degree Programs, Double Major, and Subspecialty and the Principals of Credit Transfer among Institutions in Higher Education Institutions” are applied.

For students admitted to the PhD program with a thesis-based master’s degree, the maximum duration for completion is eight semesters, starting from the semester in which courses are first taken, regardless of whether they enroll each semester. The maximum period to complete the required credit courses for the PhD program is four semesters for those admitted with a thesis-based master’s degree. If students fail to successfully complete the required credit courses or do not meet the minimum GPA specified by the higher education institution within this period, their enrollment will be terminated. Students who successfully complete their credit courses, pass the qualifying exam, and have their thesis proposal approved but do not complete their thesis within the twelve or fourteen semesters mentioned in the first paragraph, will have their enrollment terminated.

The goal of the Interdisciplinary Translational Medicine PhD program is to be a program that produces and disseminates knowledge at the international level, contributes to society through its work in the production and service sectors, and is continuously developing and exemplary in research, education, and service areas. The main theme of the program is to generate scientifically valuable outputs for clinical applications through the areas of Biotechnology, Bioinformatics, and Bioengineering, which students can choose according to their interests. Multidisciplinary and interdisciplinary studies in the health field aim to produce useful results and essential products for human and public health, as well as address preventive, diagnostic, and therapeutic goals for diseases. The concept of Translational Medicine plays a key role in achieving this integrity. Translational medicine is bidirectional, consisting of information flows from the laboratory to the patient bedside and vice versa. In the bench-to-bedside information flow, new therapeutic strategies developed through basic research are clinically tested to improve their efficacy. In the bedside-to-bench information flow, feedback is provided on the application of new treatments and how they can be further developed. As a result, the flow extends from the bedside to the laboratory, from the laboratory to the industry, and ultimately to public health.
Under the principles of Translational Medicine, the program offers courses in various fields to equip students with the knowledge and skills to work in different application areas. In the biotechnology field, courses such as “Oncogenetics,” “Biomarker Discovery,” “Pharmacogenetics,” “Omics Technologies,” “Genome Editing Technologies,” and “Vaccine Technology” are offered. In the bioinformatics field, courses such as “Applied Bioinformatics,” “Data Mining,” “Clinical Programming,” “Fundamentals and Applications of Bioinformatics,” and “Medical Informatics” are included. In the bioengineering field, courses such as “Biosensors,” “Biomedical 3D Printing,” and “Fundamentals and Applications of Bioengineering” are offered. The aim is to educate contemporary scientists who are equipped with the knowledge and skills to work in various application fields, adhere to ethical values, keep pace with global developments, and adopt the importance of lifelong learning. In addition to mandatory courses, elective courses are available, giving students the opportunity to choose according to their preferences.

Students who have completed a PhD in Interdisciplinary Translational Medicine can work not only in academia but also in research centers at universities, R&D centers, hospitals, and in public and private institutions operating in the production and service sectors as specialists or managers. They can also be employed in public or private companies specializing in Biotechnology, Bioinformatics, and Biomedical Engineering fields.

Graduates who successfully complete the PhD program can apply for academic positions in higher education institutions, either domestically or internationally, in the same or related fields, or for specialist positions in research centers of public and private organizations.

It is implemented in accordance with Articles 20 and 21 of the Fourth Chapter of the Graduate Education and Training Regulation of Bursa Uludağ University. Additionally, for the Translational Medicine PhD Program, each student must register for courses at the beginning of the semester and attend at least 70% of the classes and 80% of the practical sessions in order to take the final exam at the end of the semester. To be considered successful in a course, a student must obtain a minimum of 75 points out of 100. Furthermore, students must obtain at least 75 points in both the written and oral parts of the doctoral qualifying exam conducted by the faculty members in the relevant field.

For students with a Master´s degree, the graduation requirement includes a total of at least eight courses, one seminar at both the course and thesis stages, a qualifying exam, thesis proposal, thesis work, thesis defense, and the publications specified in the second paragraph of Article 44 of this Regulation, with a total of credits not less than 24 and not more than 30. For students admitted to the PhD program with a Bachelor´s degree, the graduation requirement includes at least fourteen courses, one seminar at both the course and thesis stages, a qualifying exam, thesis proposal, thesis work, thesis defense, and the publications specified in the second paragraph of Article 44 of this Regulation, with a total of credits not less than 42 and not more than 50. The thesis prepared as part of the doctoral study must meet at least one of the following criteria: contribute novelty to science, develop a new scientific method, or apply an existing method to a new field. Additionally, the doctoral thesis should result in a full-text original article related to the thesis topic or the main branch/scientific field, published in journals indexed internationally. It is not mandatory for the doctoral student to be the first author of these publications. However, the publication must be related to the doctoral thesis or the scientific field of the thesis.

Full-Time

Prof. Dr. Halil SAĞLAM
Bursa Uludağ Üniversitesi Sağlık Uygulama ve Araştırma Merkezi (SUAM) Başhekimi
drhalil@uludag.edu.tr / ttip@uludag.edu.tr
+90 224 294 00 70-71
Bursa, Görükle, TÜRKİYE

The applied courses and doctoral thesis projects of students in the Interdisciplinary Translational Medicine PhD program will be conducted in the research laboratories of their chosen fields. Research and application laboratories, especially in the Faculties of Medicine, Engineering, and Science-Letters, within the university, will be made available to Translational Medicine PhD program students when needed. The Interdisciplinary Translational Medicine PhD program offers students the opportunity to conduct scientific research across various fields and disciplines.