Ayhan Ulubelen
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Ayhan Ulubelen | |
|---|---|
 A student's drawing of Ulubelen | |
| Born | 20 August 1931 Istanbul, Turkey |
| Died | 29 November 2020 (aged 89) |
| Alma mater | University of Istanbul |
| Known for | Testing plants from Turkey and each separate compound in the plants for medical needs |
| Scientific career | |
| Fields | Analytical Chemistry |
| Institutions | University of Istanbul |
Ayhan Ulubelen (20 August 1931 – 29 November 2020) was a Turkish analytical chemist. She was a member of the Turkish Academy of Sciences.[1][2] Ulubelen contributed to the isolation and testing of natural products from Turkish plants relevant to spontaneous abortion, cancer, HIV, and diabetes.
Ulubelen was born August 20, 1931, in Istanbul, Turkey. Her father was an army officer, and her mother was a housewife. In high school, she saw a movie about Madame Curie and soon wanted to be a chemist. [citation needed] She sought a position in chemical industry, but became analytical chemist at the Faculty of Pharmacy of Istanbul University,[when?] partly through her having passed the language examination.[citation needed]
She received her degree[clarification needed] in analytical chemistry at Istanbul University in 1956, followed by two years of postdoctoral research at the University of Minnesota under Dr. Ole Gisvold (head of the Dept. of Medicinal Chemistry) and then by four years of cancer research at the University of Arizona. In 1976, she became a full professor at Istanbul University, while spending several months at each of: Japan (support by JSPS), Germany (support by DAAD), and the University of Texas at Austin (support by NATO).
Ulubelen has published more than 300 papers, and has authored two books and 12 chapters in international books; her work has received support from Fulbright, NIH, DAAD, JSPS, and NATO. She has mentored over 20 graduate students, of whom many have proceeded to prominent positions[citation needed] in academia, as well as pharmaceutical and chemical companies.
Ulubelen died from COVID-19 on 29 November 2020, at the age of 89.[3]
