Turkish oncology professor Gülçin Erseven dies in Texas; fundraiser launched

Prof. Gülçin Erseven, who spent nearly five decades in medicine and long served at Istanbul University’s Institute of Oncology, has died of pancreatic cancer while visiting her son in Texas, according to Amerikalı Türkler. Diyanet America has started a donation drive to repatriate her body to Türkiye.

Prof. Gülçin Erseven, a pathologist who devoted about 50 years to medicine in Türkiye, died of pancreatic cancer in Texas, the Turkish American community outlet Amerikalı Türkler reported. Erseven fell ill and was taken to hospital while visiting her son, who lives in the state.

According to the outlet, Diyanet America has launched a donation campaign to cover the cost of transporting her body to Türkiye for burial.

The Diyanet Center of America in Maryland (file photo)

Decades at Istanbul University

Erseven chaired the pathology department at Istanbul University’s Faculty of Dentistry from 1977 to 1987 before moving to the university’s Institute of Oncology, where she served as director for a year from 1993, according to an institutional history. Amerikalı Türkler said she led the institute’s pathology unit for about 25 years, working on cancer diagnosis and tumor pathology and contributing to the diagnosis and treatment of thousands of patients.