Berna Seker Yilmaz
About
Biography
Dr Berna Seker Yilmaz is an accomplished medical professional specialising in paediatric inherited metabolic disorders, with an extensive career spanning clinical care, academic teaching, and translational research. She obtained her medical degree from the University of Ankara in 2002, completed her training in Paediatrics, and later pursued advanced specialisation in inherited metabolic diseases.
She currently works as a Consultant in Paediatric Inherited Metabolic Disease at Evelina London Children’s Hospital and as a Research Associate at the UCL Institute of Child Health, where she contributes to gene therapy development programmes targeting inborn errors of metabolism. Her research focuses on developing therapies that address the underlying genetic causes of rare metabolic conditions, aiming to deliver long-term solutions for affected children.
In 2021, Dr Seker Yilmaz was awarded the title of Associate Professor of Paediatric Metabolic Medicine by the Turkish Council of Higher Education, recognising her academic and clinical contributions. In 2018, she received the prestigious International Postdoctoral Research Fellowship from the Scientific and Technological Research Institution of Turkey (TÜBİTAK), which supported her collaborative work on global research initiatives.
Dr Seker Yilmaz is also deeply engaged in undergraduate and postgraduate medical education. She teaches across the UCL campus and serves as a module lead on the MSc Paediatrics and Child Health Advanced Practice Programme, with active roles in student supervision and mentoring.
Outside of her professional responsibilities, Dr Seker Yilmaz enjoys travelling, writing, and spending time with her family. She is passionate about exploring new cultures and landscapes.
Areas of specialism
ResearchResearch interests
Dr Berna Seker Yilmaz’s research focuses on the development of novel therapies for paediatric inherited metabolic disorders, with a particular emphasis on gene therapy and translational research. She is actively involved in investigating the natural history and disease progression of rare conditions such as Ornithine Transcarbamylase (OTC) Deficiency and Niemann-Pick Disease Type C (NPC), aiming to generate high-quality clinical data to inform future therapeutic trials. Her work bridges clinical care and laboratory science, with a commitment to advancing personalised and curative treatment approaches for inborn errors of metabolism. She also contributes to international research collaborations and registries, enhancing global understanding and standardisation of care for rare metabolic diseases.
Research interests
Dr Berna Seker Yilmaz’s research focuses on the development of novel therapies for paediatric inherited metabolic disorders, with a particular emphasis on gene therapy and translational research. She is actively involved in investigating the natural history and disease progression of rare conditions such as Ornithine Transcarbamylase (OTC) Deficiency and Niemann-Pick Disease Type C (NPC), aiming to generate high-quality clinical data to inform future therapeutic trials. Her work bridges clinical care and laboratory science, with a commitment to advancing personalised and curative treatment approaches for inborn errors of metabolism. She also contributes to international research collaborations and registries, enhancing global understanding and standardisation of care for rare metabolic diseases.