Neurology and Child Neurology Specialist

Prof. Dr. Zuhal Yapıcı is a graduate of Cerrahpaşa Medical Faculty, Istanbul University. During her neurology residency, she went to the USA several times and, as a visiting trainee, studied at the below institutions in order to broaden her knowledge and experience in the field of child neurology:

• Baylor College of Medicine, Texas Children’s Hospital, Section of Pediatric Neurology (1994),
• University of Texas, Department of Neurology, Division of Child Neurology (1995).

In 1997, she started to work as a neurology specialist at Istanbul University, Istanbul Medical Faculty, Department of Neurology, Division of Child Neurology. During the following years, she paid several visits to the below-mentioned institutes in order to carry on with her studies:

• University of Texas, Department of Neurology, Division of Child Neurology (2002),
• Wake Forest University, Department of Neurology, Section of Pediatric Neurology (2004).

After completing her subspeciality training in child neurology at Istanbul University, Istanbul Faculty of Medicine, Department of Neurology, she became an associate professor in 2006 and professor in 2012. Founded by Prof. Hıfzı Özcan, Child Neurology was once merely a section in the Neurology Department of Istanbul Faculty of Medicine. Thanks to his meticulous efforts along with those of Prof. Dr. Mefkure Eraksoy, the section was turned into a unit. Dr. Yapıcı followed the path of the trailblazers and through her efforts Child Neurology was finally recognized as a division by the Senate of Istanbul University in 17.08.2011. Dr. Yapıcı is at present the head of the division. 

On April 4th, 2018,  Dr. Zuhal Yapıcı established the 'Translational
Neurodevelopmental Medicine Ph.D. Program' to be carried out under the
Department of Neurology, Istanbul Faculty of Medicine, and on May
15th, 2018, she was appointed as doctorate program manager.

On July 10th, 2018,  Dr. Zuhal Yapıcı established the 'Unit of Tuberous Sclerosis' in Istanbul Faculty of Medicine, and she was appointed as unit coordinator.

She has been a member of the "Journal of European Paediatric Neurology" editorial board for two years, starting from 2022.

As of September 19, 2022, Istanbul University Istanbul Faculty of Medicine, as the Turkey center of NBIA disorders, and Prof. Dr. Zuhal Yapıcı is known as the chief researcher of this center in "TreatNBIA" contex.

On March 16, 2023, Dr. YAPICI established  the "Turkey NBIA Working Group" with the support of the Turkish Parkinson Disease Association. As the leader of the group, she made the first speech at the 15th National Congress of Parkinson and Movement Disorders, and  called to invite the Turkish neuroscientists for new projects on these rare diseases.

"The 9th International Symposium on NBIA was held under the chairmanship of Prof. Dr. Zuhal YAPICI on October 17–19, 2024, at the Istanbul University Campus. For details, please refer to the "News" section.

Prof. Yapıcı’s Academic Areas of Interest:

Childhood movement disorders (dystonia, chorea, myoclonus,  and associated diseases) and neurodegeneration with brain iron accumulation (NBIA)
Leukodystrophies (Pelizaeus-Merzbacher disease, megalencephalic cystic leukoencephalopathy, vanishing white matter, metachromatic leukodystrophy, adrenoleukodystrophy, mitochondrial-based leukodystrophies and other recently defined ones...)
Neurocutaneous syndromes (tuberous sclerosis, neurofibromatosis, Sturge-Weber syndrome, and syndromes presenting with seizures in the central nervous system together with skin stains)
Cerebral cortical malformations (pachygyria, polymicrogyria, schizencephaly, focal cortical dysplasia, heterotopias ...)