About

Yücel Doğruel, MD, is a neurosurgeon and Clinical Administrative Lead of the Neurosurgery Clinic at the University of Health Sciences, Tepecik Training and Research Hospital. His surgical practice focuses mainly on brain and orbital tumours, skull base and deep-seated brain lesions, cerebral aneurysms and other cerebrovascular diseases, and epilepsy surgery. Microsurgical and endoscopic cranial approaches are among his principal areas of work.

He completed his medical degree at Ege University and his residency in neurosurgery at Pamukkale University. He worked as a researcher in the microsurgical neuroanatomy laboratories of the Universities of Athens, Acıbadem and Yeditepe, and as a research fellow with The Neurosurgical Atlas. He completed his fellowship in complex cranial and skull base surgery at Yeditepe University under Uğur Türe. His operative videos have been published in The Neurosurgical Atlas and in international peer-reviewed journals.

His research focuses on complex cranial and skull base approaches, epilepsy surgery, surgical neuroanatomy, white-matter dissection and the use of advanced visualisation technologies in neurosurgical training. He has 45 publications in international peer-reviewed journals and 11 book chapters. He is Chair of the Young Neurosurgeons Committee of the Turkish Neurosurgical Society and Scientific Publication Coordinator of Türk Nöroşirürji Dergisi, the Society’s journal.

On this page

Training and fellowship programmes

Medical and residency training

• 2014Ege University Faculty of Medicine: Doctor of Medicine
• 2016–2021Pamukkale University Faculty of Medicine: Residency in Neurosurgery

Fellowship programmes

• October 2018 – January 2019Athens Microneurosurgery Laboratory Research Fellowship Programme — National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Evangelismos Hospital (Athens). Anatomical research on microsurgical neuroanatomy, white-matter dissection and skull base surgical approaches.
• June – September 2019Acıbadem University Research Fellowship Programme — CASE Laboratory (İstanbul). Anatomical studies on white-matter dissection and endoscopic skull base surgery.
• July – August 2020Yeditepe University Research Fellowship Programme — Koşuyolu Hospital Microneurosurgery Laboratory (İstanbul). Microsurgical neuroanatomy and white-matter dissection.
• June 2022 – June 2023The Neurosurgical Atlas – Yeditepe University Research Fellowship Programme (İstanbul). During this period he studied surgical approaches to a range of cranial lesions, including thalamic and brainstem tumours, and prepared surgical technique videos. These videos have been published in The Neurosurgical Atlas and in international peer-reviewed journals.
• July – October 2023Yeditepe University Complex Cranial and Skull Base Surgery Research Fellowship Programme — Koşuyolu Hospital Department of Neurosurgery and WFNS Skull Base Center (İstanbul). Advanced training and research in microsurgical neuroanatomy, complex cranial surgery and skull base approaches under Uğur Türe.

During his residency he received training in Gamma Knife radiosurgery at the Pamukkale University Department of Neurosurgery (2016–2020).

Awards

• 2025Prof. Dr. Mahir Tevruz Scientific Research Award, Turkish Neurosurgical Society. Awarded work: Preserving the cerebellar hemispheric tentorial bridging veins through a novel tentorial cut technique for supracerebellar approaches (Journal of Neurosurgery, 2024) View the certificate
• 2022Dr. Aysima Altınok Neurosurgery Thesis Award, Turkish Neurosurgical Society. Awarded work: Microsurgical and tractographic anatomy of the anterior thalamic nucleus (residency thesis) View the certificate
• 2021First Prize for Best Surgical Video, 34th Scientific Congress of the Turkish Neurosurgical Society. Awarded video: Endoscopic third ventriculostomy and aqueductoplasty View the certificate

Professional experience

• Since May 2024University of Health Sciences, Tepecik Training and Research Hospital, Neurosurgeon; Clinical Administrative Lead since August 2024.
• October 2023 – May 2024Tunceli State Hospital, Neurosurgeon.
• 2021–2022Iğdır State Hospital, Neurosurgeon.
• 2016–2021Pamukkale University Faculty of Medicine, Department of Neurosurgery, Resident.
• 2014–2016Samandağ State Hospital (Hatay), General Practitioner.

Research and publications

He has 45 publications in international peer-reviewed journals (27 original articles, 3 reviews, 13 operative and anatomical video articles, 2 letters to the editor), 5 articles in national journals and 11 book chapters.

His book contributions include a chapter in Youmans & Winn Neurological Surgery (8th edition), one of the comprehensive reference works used by neurosurgeons worldwide. Other chapters appear in Video Atlas of Minimally Invasive Cranial Surgery (Thieme), Neuroanatomy Guidance to Successful Neurosurgical Interventions (Springer) and Temel Nöroşirürji, the textbook of the Turkish Neurosurgical Society.

He has 38 presentations at national and international scientific congresses (26 national, 12 international). Images from his work have appeared on the covers of Brain Structure and Function (January 2023), the Journal of Neurosurgery (January 2024) and the Anatolian Journal of General Medical Research (August 2026).

The full list of publications is on the Publications page and can also be found in his Google Scholar and ORCID profiles.

Scientific roles and memberships

• Chair, Young Neurosurgeons Committee, Turkish Neurosurgical Society (2025–2027)
• Editorial Board Member and Scientific Publication Coordinator, Türk Nöroşirürji Dergisi (since April 2025)
• Peer review: World Neurosurgery, World Neurosurgery: X, Journal of Clinical Neuroscience, Journal of Neuro-Oncology, Interdisciplinary Neurosurgery, BMC Surgery, Aging Clinical and Experimental Research
• Organising Committee Member, 39th Scientific Congress of the Turkish Neurosurgical Society (Antalya, 2026)
• Local Organising Committee Member, 7th Congress of the South East Europe Neurosurgical Society (SeENS 2026, İzmir, November 2026)
• Society memberships: Turkish Neurosurgical Society (TNDer), European Association of Neurosurgical Societies (EANS), Nervous System Surgery Society (SSCD)

Academic activities

Invited lectures, panels and session chairs

Courses

Congresses and meetings attended

Contact

Professional and academic correspondence: yucel@yuceldogruel.com

Patient appointments for the Neurosurgery Clinic of Tepecik Training and Research Hospital are made through the Central Physician Appointment System (MHRS).