ExCom Member at large

Omer KALAYCI, MD
Professor of Pediatrics and Pediatric Allergy
Hacettepe University School of Medicine
Pediatric Allergy and Asthma Unit
Hacettepe, 06100
Ankara TURKEY
Phone:+90 305 1700
GSM: +90 533 727 6459
Fax:+90312 441 9555
okalayci@hacettepe.edu.tr

Joining the Academy

How long have you been an EAACI member? How long have you been more active within the Academy?
I have been an EAACI member since 1995. The level of my activities within the Academy has increased after I was appointed as the Secretary General of the Turkish Society in 1998. After this point, I have tried to get the Turkish Society more involved in the activities of EAACI and I was more involved myself.

What is the importance of being active within a related scientific community for a researcher/physician? Would you encourage young scientists to do so?
I think that everybody agrees that it is very helpful and important for people in the field including young scientists, researchers and physicians to get actively involved in the activities of the Academy. However, I realize that most of the time people hesitate and hold back. Specifically speaking about the EAACI, they must understand that this is a very friendly environment open to all cultural and scientific relationships without any barriers. This involvement is helpful and important not only for apparent scientific exchanges or increasing one’s scientific visibility but it is also fun.

Field of practice / specialty

Are there any major achievements in your field recently?
I am basically involved in all aspects of clinical Allergy. From a research point of view, I am involved more in the genetics and immunology of respiratory allergies. It seems to me, more recently the advances in the basic field are in front of clinical achievements.
There are, of course, clinical advances in the field of immunotherapy and trials in asthma treatment such as the introduction of monoclonal antibodies. The discovery of new T cell subsets, new findings in the molecular mechanisms of IgE regulation, advances in the molecular techniques and advances in our understanding of the gene-environment interaction will translate into new clinical approaches in the near future.

Do you spend more time in the Clinic or more time in the Lab?
I try to divide my time between the clinic and the lab. I must admit that I spend more time in the clinic but I will try to shift the balance towards the lab this year.

Tell us some problems that you face as a physician in your daily job
There are some problems related to the job and some specific problems related to the personal environment. I think our profession is a very demanding one, especially if you are involved in both the clinical and research aspects as many of us are. On top of this are the teaching and administrative duties. Therefore, time becomes a problem for everybody. As a physician and researcher, one’s mind is always pre-occupied with work related problems which, at times, prevents the experience of full-enjoyment from other things.
Specifically speaking, I think the most difficult part of being a physician is the heavy responsibility. On the research part, it is the funding; it is the heavy competition and the management of a full team work when you are trying to run the lab.

Do you think it is important for a scientist to work in other countries as well except from his own?
I think science has no boundaries. It is universal. It should aim to serve the whole humanity. I did part of both my clinical and basic training in the United States. Both times I had to make a decision about where I wanted to continue my professional life. As I said, thinking about science, I did not think that there would be any difference between working in the US or working in Turkey. However, I thought at that time, there would be a higher need for me and for what I learned in my country as compared to the US where there were already a lot of people doing it.

Science and personal life

Personal vs. Professional time: can they be successfully combined?
This is a very difficult thing to do. Here I can quote famous British mathematician and philosopher Bertrand Russell who said “It is those people who are the busiest who have the time to do everything”. I personally believe that it is a matter of getting organized and concentrating on what you do. I also think that it is more meaningful. For me just having only one of them would not be enough.

Advice for young scientists

Could you provide us with useful tips for junior allergists?
I will not re-write what everybody already knows such as working hard and keeping up-to-date etc. Instead, I will try to give my opinion on some specific issues.
1. Have a broad and strong knowledge in the field of allergy before narrowing down in one field.
2. Keep your interest in both basic field and in the clinic. Even if you are a basic scientist or a pure clinician have an at least general knowledge of the other side.
3. Do not lose your general view in other subjects and always take a look at the general journals such as the New England Journal of Medicine, Science and Nature because most of the time, you relate the findings in other diseases to what you are working on. This is where you find an interesting idea.
4. Keep in my mind that the ultimate goal of what we are doing is contribute in a very small way to individual health of the patients and to the humanity with our research in general.
5. Work hard but limit your ambitions. Do not let your ambitions be bigger than your capabilities. Be honest and do not forget that the half life of fame is extremely short.
6. Always support students and younger scientists. This is the best investment in the future.
7. Be friendly to your colleagues. You want to be happy in the work environment and enjoy it.
8. Try to combine science with a happy social life. Happy scientists are more productive.

What will be the future of allergy as a disease, as a discipline?
When I finished my training in Pediatrics, I decided to do Allergy for four reasons.
1. The clinical part was very rewarding, the patients got well, and there was not much fatality.
2. It allowed private practice without being dependent on big facilities and high technology.
3. It had a great research area and the research was on diseases with high prevalence not on rare diseases.
4. It had a great future both on the clinical and basic side.

The last 15 years that I spent in the field has proved me right and I still think that the scientifically based and sound opinions of the allergists will be greatly needed in the daily lives of the people. Therefore, allergy, as a scientific field, will have a great influence in the health care policies of the future. In short, I sincerely believe that this is a great job not only at present but will also be in the future.

Back to top