Neuroscientist granted 15th Vehbi Koç award

A Turkish scientist famous for his work on human brain has been awarded the 15th Vehbi Koç Award, a prestigious award that is granted to individuals and organizations annually by the Vehbi Koç Foundation in honor of the Koç Group's founder.

Professor Kamil U?urbil received his award from Koç Holding chairman Ömer Koç, with a ceremony held at ?? Sanat Culture Center. The award is given to individuals or organizations that have significantly contributed to the people and development of Turkey and to those who achieved excellence and carried out remarkable work in the fields of education, health or culture. Notables such as Nobel-winning scientist Aziz Sancar, mathematician Ali Nesin, doctor Türkan Saylan and poet Faz?l Hüsnü Da?larca have been awarded the prize previously.  

U?urbil, who is known as "the Turk who solved the brain's mystery," was given the award for his magnetic resonance studies that served to develop new technologies studying the function of human brain and exploring solutions to disorders and diseases such as Alzheimer's and depression. Technologies that were developed thanks to U?urbil's studies have become crucial in the diagnosis of these kinds of brain diseases and disorders along with the planning of the treatments and patients' response to these treatments.  

"I am one of the people who developed the technique called functional MR. I thank you not just for this award granted to me, but also for giving such an award to scientists; this is a very meaningful support for the development of science," said U?urbil, during his speech at the ceremony. 

U?urbil currently holds the McKnight Presidential Endowed Chair Professorship in Radiology, Neurosciences, and Medicine and is the Director of the Center for Magnetic...