Prof. Nagihan Uğurlu, MD, PhD, FEBO
Prof. Nagihan Uğurlu is an ophthalmologist and academic researcher working in the field of retinal diseases and translational ophthalmology. Her work integrates clinical practice, surgical experience, and interdisciplinary research aimed at developing new experimental models, therapeutic approaches, and simulation-based surgical training methods. Throughout her academic career, Prof. Uğurlu has also been actively involved in the training of ophthalmology residents and young surgeons. Her clinical work includes extensive experience in cataract and vitreoretinal surgery, which has contributed to her interest in developing structured surgical simulation models and training environments.
She received her medical degree from Hacettepe University Faculty of Medicine in 1999 and completed her ophthalmology residency at Ankara Numune Training and Research Hospital in 2004.
Prof. Uğurlu expanded her research background by completing a PhD in Nanotechnology and Nanomedicine at Hacettepe University in 2013, followed by a second PhD in Biopharmaceutics and Pharmacokinetics at Hacettepe University Faculty of Pharmacy in 2021. She also obtained the FEBO (Fellow of the European Board of Ophthalmology) qualification in 2014.
Throughout her career, she has worked in both university and research hospital environments, combining clinical practice with scientific research and academic education.
She founded the Diabetic Eye Diseases Center at Ankara Atatürk Training and Research Hospital in 2011, where she led clinical and academic activities in diabetic retinal diseases.
Prof. Uğurlu also contributed to the development of interdisciplinary research infrastructure by establishing the Advanced Technologies Research and Application Center, where she served as founding director and later as center director between 2014 and 2025.
She is also the founder of OphthalmoClub, an academic platform dedicated to translational research and simulation-based surgical training in ophthalmology.
She currently serves as a Professor of Ophthalmology in the Department of Ophthalmology at Ankara Yıldırım Beyazıt University, continues her clinical work at the Retina Unit of Ankara Bilkent City Hospital, and carries out research and simulation-based training activities within the OphthalmoClub platform.
Research Interests
- Retinal diseases and diabetic eye disease
- Vitreoretinal and cataract surgery
- Translational ophthalmic research
- Experimental models for ocular diseases
- Controlled ocular drug delivery systems
- Pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics of ocular therapeutics
- Simulation-based microsurgical training (dry-lab and wet-lab)