The Hacettepe University Neurosurgery Education, Research and Innovation Center (HÜNERİM), established within the Department of Neurosurgery at Hacettepe University Faculty of Medicine with infrastructure support from the Hacettepe University Scientific Research Projects (BAP) Coordination Unit, was officially inaugurated at a ceremony.
Speaking at the opening ceremony, Hacettepe University Rector Prof. Dr. Mehmet Cahit Güran emphasized that universities are not only institutions that provide healthcare services but also research centers that generate knowledge, develop technologies, and help shape society. Noting that supporting the strong academic expertise in healthcare with research and development and innovation activities is of great importance for the future of our country, Prof. Dr. Güran stated that transferring this culture of knowledge and technology production to young physicians and scientists is a strategic responsibility. He noted that centers such as HÜNERİM will make significant contributions to the “Productive Healthcare” vision, which is based on our country’s national innovation and localization goals.
Prof. Dr. Mustafa Berker, Head of the Department of Neurosurgery, stated in his speech that HÜNERİM is not merely a research laboratory, but an exemplary center that brings education, scientific production, and technology development together under one roof. He noted that the center will contribute to both scientific research and patient care by strengthening multidisciplinary collaborations, while also providing a strong training and research environment for young researchers.
Following the opening ceremony, Assoc. Prof. Dr. Şahin Hanalioğlu, a faculty member of the Department of Neurosurgery, introduced the center’s activities and ongoing projects. The presentation provided information on personalized three-dimensional anatomical modeling, surgical planning and simulation software, artificial intelligence-assisted image analysis and automated segmentation systems, functional brain mapping, brain connectivity (connectome) analyses, and computational neurosurgery applications developed by students, research assistants, faculty members, and the engineering team in collaboration with Hacettepe Technokent and national and international partners.
Assoc. Prof. Dr. Hanalioğlu stated that HÜNERİM’s primary goal is to develop the healthcare technologies of the future together with the physicians, engineers, and scientists of the future, adding that they have created a scientific ecosystem in which students actively participate in every stage of the research process. Drawing attention to the critical role of university-industry collaboration in developing innovative healthcare technologies, Dr. Hanalioğlu emphasized that the work carried out at the center is being transformed not only into scientific publications but also into patents, marketable products, and initiatives that will contribute to our country’s strategic goals in healthcare technologies.
Bringing together artificial intelligence, big data analytics, advanced imaging, digital twin technologies, and personalized surgical planning approaches under one roof, HÜNERİM aims to contribute to Hacettepe University’s research and innovation vision through its multidisciplinary culture of collaboration, strong national and international partnerships, and student-centered research approach, and to become one of the world’s leading centers for developing the technologies of the future in neurosurgery.
