Dr. Oya Lecendoglu-Tugal

I am Dr. Oya Lecendoglu-Tugal, I graduated from Hacettepe University Faculty of Medicine in 1974 in Ankara, Turkey. Then I continued with Pediatric Residency training at the same medical center, which is known to be the largest medical center in the Middle East. From 1974 through 1978, my four years of training in Pediatrics at Hacettepe Children's Hospital gave me the opportunity to learn various diseases of childhood, from common disorders to very rare clinical syndromes.

Being a well-known academic center in the area, we have the ability of treating our patients with high standards of medicine. I did a fellowship in the fourth year of my residency training in Immunology, which was a very challenging, and an interesting area.

Today, as a hematologist and oncologist, my experience and knowledge in Immunology is helpful in dealing with my patients who are immunocompromised. Ever since I entered medical school, I had interests in broad fields of medicine. This was derived from my intense desire to learn more.

In 1981, I came to the US to further pursue my academic interests. I worked as a research associate in Nephrology at VA Hospital in East Orange, NJ and conducted laboratory research to better understand the pathogenesis of renal disorders where kidney tubules are damaged with various antibiotics, toxins, heavy metals and infections.

In 1983, I did two years of Pediatric Residency at Westchester County Medical Center at New York Medical College. Here I served as a Chief Resident in my second year. I decided to specialize in Pediatric Hematology/Oncology because new concepts derived from extensive research were being successfully implemented in treating cancer and hematologic disorders and changing the outcome of affected children. Once considered a fatal disease had become curable now. This led me to join the pediatric hematology/oncology training program at Mount Sinai Hospital in New York where I completed my fellowship in 1987.

During my training, I conducted research to see if the enzymic alterations of leukemic cells could be detected prior to relapse to help the early diagnosis of leukemia in children. I received my board certificate in Pediatrics in 1986 and my sub-board certificate in Pediatric Hematology/Oncology in 1987.

After completing my fellowship, I joined the faculty at New York Medical College division of Pediatric Hematology/Oncology as an attending physician and have been actively involved in the care of Pediatric Hematology/Oncology patients. I have publised numerous articles related to bone marrow failure, histiocytosis, ataxia-telengiectasia, leukemia, Wilms' tumor, etc. as a principal author or a co-author. My area of interests is leukemias, brain tumors, hemophagocytic syndromes and bone marrow failure syndromes.

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