Prof. Mert Erkan is a Professor of General Surgery with a strong focus on hepatopancreatobiliary and minimally invasive pancreatic surgery. He was appointed Professor of General Surgery at Koç University in 2017 and joined Acibadem Health Group in 2021. His clinical and academic work centers on advanced pancreatic surgery, multidisciplinary care, and surgical research. Professional affiliations span national and international societies, reflecting long-standing engagement in the field: – European Digestive Surgery (EDS), member since 2003 – European Pancreatic Club (EPC), member since 2003 – Deutscher Pankreas-Club (DPC), member since 2003 – International Hepato-Pancreato-Biliary Association (IHPBA), member since 2001 – International Association of Pancreatology (IAP), member since 2003 – Turkish Hepato-Pancreato-Biliary Surgery Association, member since 1998; Board Member 2015–2017 – Deutsche Gesellschaft für Allgemein- und Viszeralchirurgie (DGAV), member 2007–2014 – Istanbul Medical Chamber, member 1995–2021 – Bursa Medical Chamber, member since 2021 He has served on multiple committees and working groups, including the IHPBA Scientific and Research Committee (2014–present), the IHPBA Program Committee (2015–2019), and as a founding member of the Pancreatic Terminology Committee in 2021. He is also involved with the European Consortium on Minimally Invasive Pancreatic Surgery. Prof. Erkan combines extensive surgical experience with active contributions to professional societies and collaborative research, advancing care and standards in pancreatic and hepatobiliary surgery.
Education
- 2017 Professor of General Surgery, Koç University
- 2014 UAK Associate Professorship Equivalency
- 2011 Associate Professor of General Surgery, Technical University of Munich, Klinikum rechts der Isar
- 2010 Upper Specialization in Surgery of the Digestive System Technical University of Munich, Klinikum rechts der Isar
- 2007 PhD, University of Heidelberg: Summa cum laude (highest honors). Thesis: The influence of tumor modulated microenvironment on pancreatic cancer behavior.
- 2001 Istanbul University Istanbul Faculty of Medicine General Surgery
- 2001 General Surgery Specialist, Istanbul University, Istanbul Faculty of Medicine, Thesis: Retrospective evaluation of patients treated for iatrogenic biliary injury
- 1995 Istanbul University Istanbul Faculty of Medicine
Experience
- 2021 Acibadem Health Group
- 2014 – 2021 Koç University School of Medicine Research Laboratory
- 2014 – 2021 Koç University School of Medicine
- 2021 Pancreatic Cancer Research Center, Acıbadem Mehmet Ali Aydınlar University Istanbul Turkey
- 2017 – 2021 Koç University Translational Medicine Research Center
- 2017 – 2021 Koç University Institute of Health Sciences
- 2007 – 2014 Pancreas Research Center , Technical University of Munich
- 2007 – 2014 Technical University of Munich, Klinikum rechts der Isar
- 2003 – 2007 Heidelberg University, General Surgery
- 2003 – 2007 European Pancreas Research Center, University of Heidelberg
- 2001 – 2003 Istanbul University, Istanbul Faculty of Medicine, HPB Surgery Unit
- 1995 – 2001 Istanbul University, Istanbul Faculty of Medicine
Memberships
- European Digestive Surgery/ EDS 2003-
- The European Consortium on Minimally Invasive Pancreatic Surgery
- Istanbul Medical Chamber 1995-2021
- Europan/African Hepato-Pancreato-Biliary Association Scientific and Research Committee Member: 2014 – Present / Program committee: 2015 – 2019 / Pancreatic terminology committee founding member 2021 – 2021
- Bursa Medical Chamber 2021
- Deutsche Gesellschaft für Allgemein- und Viszeralchirurgie (DGAV) 2007 – 2014
- European Pancreatic-Club/ EPC 2003-
- Deutscher Pankreas-Club/ DPC 2003-
- Turkish Hepato-Pancreato-Biliary Surgery Association: 1998 Board Member: 2015-2017
- International Hepato-Pancreato-Biliary Association (IHPBA) 2001-
- International Association of Pancreatology (IAP) 2003-
Publications
- Mutant KRAS-driven cancers depend on PTPN11/SHP2 phosphatase.
Karpathaki, Marlena Kowalska, Ezgi Kaya-Aksoy, Liang Song, Eveline A Zeeuw van der Laan, María P López-Alberca, Marc Nazaré, Maximilian Reichert, Diet DA Ruess, GJ Heynen, KJ Ciecielski, J Ai, A Berninger, D Kabacaoglu, Kivanc Görgülü, Zahra Dantes, Sonja M Wörmann, Kalliope N Diakopoulos, Angeliki F - Combined inhibition of BET family proteins and histone deacetylases as a potential epigenetics-based therapy for pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma.
Aayush Gupta, Irina Heid, Peter B Noël, Rickmer Braren, Mert Erkan,Nature medicine 2015 (280) PK Mazur, A Herner, SS Mello, M Wirth, S Hausmann, FJ Sánchez-Rivera, Shane M Lofgren, Timo Kuschma, Stephan A Hahn, Deepak Vangala, Marija Trajkovic- - Intracellular autofluorescence: a biomarker for epithelial cancer stem cells.
Manuel Hidalgo, Mert Erkan, …Nature methods 2014 (165) I Miranda-Lorenzo, J Dorado, E Lonardo, S Alcala, AG Serrano, Jenifer Clausell-Tormos, Michele Cioffi, Diego Megias, Sladjana Zagorac, Anamaria Balic, - The role of stroma in pancreatic cancer: diagnostic and therapeutic implications.
Nature reviews Gastroenterology & hepatology 2012 (476) M Erkan, S Hausmann, CW Michalski, AA Fingerle, M Dobritz, J Kleeff. - StellaTUM: current consensus and discussion on pancreatic stellate cell research.
Gut 2011 (365) M Erkan, G Adler, MV Apte, MG Bachem, M Buchholz, S Detlefsen, . - Cancer-stellate cell interactions perpetuate the hypoxia-fibrosis cycle in pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma
Neoplasia 2009 (294) M Erkan, C Reiser-Erkan, CW Michalski, S Deucker, D Sauliunaite, - Northern blot analysis for detection and quantification of RNA in pancreatic cancer cells and tissues
Nature protocols 2009 (162) S Streit, CW Michalski, M Erkan, J Kleeff, H Friess. - The activated stroma index is a novel and independent prognostic marker in pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma.
Clinical gastroenterology and hepatology 2008 (374) M Erkan, CW Michalski, S Rieder, C Reiser Erkan, I Abiatari, A Kolb - Systematic review and meta-analysis of the role of defunctioning stoma in low rectal cancer surgery.
Annals of surgery 2008 (592) N Hüser, CW Michalski, M Erkan, T Schuster, R Rosenberg, J Kleeff. - Periostin creates a tumor-supportive microenvironment in the pancreas by sustaining fibrogenic stellate cell activity.
Gastroenterology 2007 (330) M Erkan, J Kleeff, A Gorbachevski, C Reiser, T Mitkus, I Esposito, T Giese - The neurotrophic factor artemin promotes pancreatic cancer invasion.
Annals of surgery 2006 (159) GO Ceyhan, NA Giese, M Erkan, AG Kerscher, MN Wente, T Giese - Loss of BNIP3 expression is a late event in pancreatic cancer contributing to chemoresistance and worsened prognosis.
Oncogene 2005 (221) M Erkan, J Kleeff, I Esposito, T Giese, K Ketterer, MW Büchler, NA Giese, …
