Letter from our Fellow — May 2026

My post-residency academic journey began at Koç University in 2022. I first worked as an EAU Research Scholar, followed by positions as a Urologic Oncology Clinical Fellow and later as an attending/instructor. During my fellowship training in 2022, the Sunshine Emory–Koç University joint meetings have initiated. This meeting has been a valuable platform to initiate an important collaborative environment between two distinguished universities, while also building a bridge between two countries and cultures.

The first meeting was remarkably successful and productive, and these meetings evolved into an annual tradition — we are now looking forward to the 4th Sunshine meeting this October! Personally, these meetings provided an important platform for me to present my work and learn from international colleagues. I also had the privilege of meeting esteemed faculty members from Emory University, as well as the wonderful people who made these meetings possible, Mona and Philip Sunshine.

Through this collaborative environment, I was accepted as a visiting fellow at Emory University and began my work at Emory in January 2026.

I was warmly welcomed in Emory University and started to work in multiple research projects under the mentorship Prof. Dr. Viraj Master. We immediately started an important project investigating the effect nutrition on metabolic parameters and oncological outcomes in patients who underwent surgery for renal cell carcinoma. In addition to this project, we have initiated and completed multiple research studies, with early findings started being presented at scientific meetings and published in academic journals.

Beyond the highly productive academic environment, I have also discovered Atlanta to be an exceptionally green and beautiful city, home to one of the most wonderful and welcoming Turkish communities in the United States. From the beginning, I felt embraced and supported by the people around me during my time here.

I believe my journey in Atlanta represents one of the most important milestones in my academic career, and it would not have been possible without the Sunshine joint meetings. I would also like to express my sincere gratitude to everyone who contributed to the organization of the Sunshine Koç–Emory joint meetings, especially dear Mona and the Sunshine family, for their continued support and generosity.