Assoc. Prof. Koray Yalçın, MD

Assoc. Prof. Koray Yalçın, MD is a pediatric hematology specialist who sees patients at Acibadem Atakent Hospital and Acibadem Altunizade Hospital in Istanbul, Turkey, within the pediatrics unit. With more than 17 years in medicine, his clinical work is devoted to children and adolescents with disorders of the blood and blood-forming organs, from common conditions such as iron deficiency anemia to leukemia, lymphoma and bone marrow transplantation. Families from abroad consult him for a first assessment, a second opinion on a diagnosis already made, or the planning of treatment that will continue at home.

Dr. Yalçın graduated from Istanbul University in 2008 and completed his residency in pediatrics at Okmeydani Training and Research Hospital in 2013. He then trained in pediatric hematology and oncology at Akdeniz University Faculty of Medicine, completing his subspecialty in 2017. In 2019 he worked as a researcher at Acibadem Labcell Cellular Therapy Center, a laboratory for cell-based treatments. From 2019 to 2024 he was the physician in charge of the Pediatric Hematology-Oncology and Bone Marrow Transplantation Unit at Bahcesehir University Medical Park Goztepe Hospital, where he led the unit’s transplant and cellular therapy activity. In 2025 he joined the healthcare group that operates both of his current hospitals.

Clinical focus

Dr. Yalçın’s areas of clinical interest are iron deficiency anemia in children, thalassemia, leukemia, myelodysplastic syndrome, lymphoma, bone marrow (hematopoietic stem cell) transplantation and cellular therapies. In practice this covers the pathway a family may need: the evaluation of a low blood count or an enlarged lymph node, confirmation of a diagnosis with the laboratory and imaging services of the hospital, chemotherapy and supportive care delivered in a pediatric setting, and, where transplantation is considered the appropriate treatment, donor assessment, conditioning and long-term follow-up after the transplant. Treatment decisions are made together with the family and, where needed, with the hospital’s multidisciplinary pediatric oncology and transplantation team.

He is a co-author of peer-reviewed research in his field. Recent publications include a report on the treatment of severe aplastic anemia with hematopoietic stem cell transplantation in the setting of active mucormycosis (Indian J Otolaryngol Head Neck Surg, 2024), a multicenter study of the clinical, immunological and genetic features of MHC class II deficiency (J Allergy Clin Immunol Pract, 2024), and a report from the Turkish pediatric bone marrow transplantation study group on COVID-19 in children and adolescents after allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (Pediatr Transplant, 2024).

How Dr. Yalçın works with international patients

Dr. Yalçın consults in Turkish and English, and interpreters can be arranged for other languages. The international patient team coordinates the collection of prior reports and imaging, such as laboratory and pathology results, MRI, CT or ultrasound reports, operative notes and discharge summaries, arranges appointments and organizes the hospital visit. A first consultation typically covers the child’s history and symptoms, a review of existing imaging and previous treatments, a clinical examination and a discussion of the options. Video consultation is available for international patients, both for a review of existing reports before travel and for follow-up after treatment in coordination with the child’s physician at home.