A GREAT LOSS FOR THE WORLD OF HEMATOLOGY: PROF. DR. ABDULLAH KUTLAR PASSES AWAY
Prof. Dr. Abdullah Kutlar, a distinguished hematologist whose medical and scientific career spanned several decades, has passed away.
According to an announcement shared by his family, Prof. Dr. Abdullah Kutlar, born in 1947, died on September 11, 2026.
His passing marks the end of an extraordinary medical and academic journey that began in Gaziantep, continued through Ankara and Istanbul, and ultimately led to a long and influential career in the United States.
Kutlar was particularly known for his work on sickle cell disease, hemoglobin disorders and red blood cell diseases.
No verified public statement regarding the cause of his death has been released.
WHO WAS PROF. DR. ABDULLAH KUTLAR?
Abdullah Kutlar was born in Gaziantep, Türkiye, in 1947.
He was the son of Perihan Barlas Kutlar and Cevat Kutlar and came from a family with deep roots in Gaziantep.
After attending Ankara College, Kutlar entered Ankara University Faculty of Medicine. He graduated from medical school in 1971 and began a career that would eventually span continents.
FROM INTERNAL MEDICINE TO HEMATOLOGY
Following medical school, Kutlar continued his training at Istanbul University Istanbul Faculty of Medicine, where he pursued Internal Medicine and Hematology.
This period played a major role in shaping his future scientific interests.
His academic development in hematology also included work with Prof. Dr. Muzaffer Aksoy, one of Türkiye’s pioneering physicians and researchers in hematology.
Kutlar developed a particular interest in inherited blood disorders, hemoglobin abnormalities and red blood cell diseases—fields that would remain central to his research for decades.
FROM TÜRKİYE TO THE UNITED STATES
Kutlar later continued his scientific and medical career in the United States.
His professional journey included research experience at Cleveland Clinic and Medical College of Georgia.
He subsequently established a long academic career in Augusta, Georgia, working within Medical College of Georgia and Augusta University.
There, Kutlar combined three major aspects of academic medicine: patient care, scientific research and medical education.
A CAREER DEDICATED TO SICKLE CELL DISEASE
Sickle cell disease became one of the defining areas of Prof. Dr. Abdullah Kutlar’s career.
The inherited blood disorder affects hemoglobin and can cause anemia, severe episodes of pain, vascular complications and progressive organ damage.
Kutlar spent decades studying the disease, caring for patients and contributing to clinical research aimed at improving its management.
His academic interests extended beyond sickle cell disease to hemoglobinopathies, thalassemia, anemia, red blood cell disorders, hematologic malignancies, myelodysplastic syndromes, myeloproliferative disorders, coagulation abnormalities and platelet disorders.
LEADERSHIP IN SICKLE CELL RESEARCH
Prof. Dr. Abdullah Kutlar also held a prominent leadership role at the Sickle Cell Center in Augusta.
The center brought together patient care and scientific research, allowing clinicians and researchers to study sickle cell disease while providing specialized care to affected patients.
Throughout his career, Kutlar worked not only as a researcher but also as a clinician and educator.
His work reflected an approach in which questions arising from patient care could lead to scientific investigation, while new research findings could ultimately contribute to better clinical practice.
MORE THAN 200 ORIGINAL SCIENTIFIC PUBLICATIONS
Prof. Dr. Abdullah Kutlar leaves behind an extensive academic legacy.
According to his institutional academic biography, he authored more than 200 original scientific papers, contributed book chapters and presented a large number of scientific abstracts and presentations.
He also participated in numerous clinical trials and federally supported research projects.
His work became part of the international scientific literature on sickle cell disease and other hematologic disorders and was cited by researchers around the world.
RECOGNIZED FOR RESEARCH AND MEDICAL EDUCATION
Kutlar’s contributions to academic medicine were recognized with several awards.
Institutional records show that he received the Clinical Science Research Distinguished Faculty Award in 1997.
In 1998, he received both an Excellence in Teaching Award and a Faculty of the Year Award.
In 2012, his scientific work was again recognized with a Clinical Science Research Award as part of the Distinguished Faculty Awards.
These honors reflected the breadth of a career that extended beyond laboratory research to medical education and patient care.
A PHYSICIAN, SCIENTIST AND EDUCATOR
One of the defining characteristics of Prof. Dr. Abdullah Kutlar’s career was his ability to combine clinical medicine with scientific research.
He cared for patients while investigating the biological and clinical questions surrounding their diseases.
At the same time, he contributed to the education of medical students, physicians and younger researchers.
His career represents a remarkable example of a physician-scientist whose work crossed geographic and academic boundaries.
HE NEVER LOST HIS CONNECTION TO GAZIANTEP
Although Prof. Dr. Abdullah Kutlar spent much of his professional life in the United States, his connection to his birthplace and family in Gaziantep remained an important part of his life.
The family announcement identified him as the grandson of Gaziantep physician Mecit Barlas and Ayşe Barlas, the son of Perihan and Cevat Kutlar, the elder brother of Merih Kutlar, the uncle of Fatma Çolakoğlu and Akay Taşkıntuna, and the beloved husband of Ferdane Kutlar.
WHAT WAS PROF. DR. ABDULLAH KUTLAR’S CAUSE OF DEATH?
As of September 11, 2026, no verified public information regarding Prof. Dr. Abdullah Kutlar’s cause of death has been released by his family or an authorized institution.
For this reason, any unverified claims concerning the cause of his death should be treated with caution.
According to the family announcement, Prof. Dr. Abdullah Kutlar passed away on September 11, 2026, at the age of 79.
A LEGACY THAT EXTENDS FROM GAZIANTEP TO INTERNATIONAL MEDICINE
Prof. Dr. Abdullah Kutlar’s life was a journey from Gaziantep to Ankara, from Istanbul to the United States—and ultimately into the international scientific community.
Over several decades, he cared for patients, contributed to the understanding of sickle cell disease and hemoglobin disorders, participated in clinical research and helped educate new generations of physicians.
His legacy lives on through his scientific publications, his contributions to hematology, the physicians and researchers he helped train, and the patients whose lives were touched by his work.
Prof. Dr. Abdullah Kutlar passed away on September 11, 2026, leaving behind a distinguished legacy in medicine and science.
We extend our condolences to his family, loved ones, colleagues, students and the international medical community.
