Assoc. Prof. Bahar Ürün Ünal
Assoc. Prof. Bahar Ürün Ünal, MD, is an Associate Professor of Family Medicine at Selçuk University Faculty of Medicine and an academic member of the Traditional and Complementary Medicine Institute (TÜGET) at the Health Institutes of Türkiye (TÜSEB). Her academic and clinical work encompasses family medicine, preventive healthcare, lifestyle medicine, functional medicine, and evidence-based traditional, complementary, and integrative medicine.
She received her medical degree from Konya University Meram Faculty of Medicine and completed her residency training in Family Medicine at Konya Training and Research Hospital. She joined the academic staff of Selçuk University Faculty of Medicine in 2020 and has served as an Associate Professor since 2024.
She holds Ministry of Health-approved practitioner certifications in Acupuncture, Ozone Therapy, and Cupping Therapy, as well as certifications in Smoking Cessation Treatment, Medical Aesthetics and Cosmetic Applications, Occupational Medicine, and Intrauterine Device Applications.
Dr. Ürün Ünal actively contributes to national educational activities organized by the General Directorate of Public Health of the Turkish Ministry of Health. She serves as a certified trainer in Smoking Cessation Treatment Programs and Family Medicine Adaptation Programs and was appointed as an academic expert for the national “Smoke-Free Life Initiative Workshop,” contributing to policy development in tobacco control and preventive healthcare.
She is a certified trainer of the European Academy of Teachers in General Practice/Family Medicine (EURACT) and currently serves as a member of the Addiction Prevention Commission at Selçuk University. She also actively contributes to various academic committees and professional organizations at both national and international levels.
Dr. Ürün Ünal has served as a Scientific Committee Member, Scientific Advisory Board Member, Organizing Committee Member, and Session Chair at numerous national and international scientific congresses. She has actively contributed to the scientific planning, organization, evaluation, and moderation of academic meetings in the fields of family medicine, preventive healthcare, lifestyle medicine, functional medicine, and evidence-based traditional, complementary, and integrative medicine.
Dr. Ürün Ünal has received several scientific awards in recognition of her academic achievements, including the First Prize for Best Oral Presentation at the 1st International & 7th National Congress on Rational Treatments in Disease Management (2025), the Best Oral Presentation Award at the 24th International Eastern Mediterranean Family Medicine Congress, and the Publication Achievement Award presented by Selçuk University Faculty of Medicine in 2023.
She has served as the principal investigator and research coordinator of numerous national and international scientific projects. Notably, she was the Chief Researcher of the European Scientific Collaboration Project (EUSCP): Joint Research on Chronic Disease Follow-ups in Adults in Primary Care (2022) and currently leads several multidisciplinary research projects focusing on lifestyle medicine, chronic disease prevention, cardiometabolic health, and evidence-based integrative medicine.
She has authored more than 50 peer-reviewed scientific publications published in national and international indexed journals, including more than 20 articles in SCI-indexed journals. She has presented more than 50 oral and poster presentations at national and international scientific congresses.
Her current research focuses on lifestyle medicine, evidence-based integrative medicine, chronic disease prevention, nutritional medicine, cardiometabolic diseases, cancer screening, tobacco control, digital health, health literacy, and primary care research.
She serves as editor of the internationally indexed book Chronic Disease Follow-Ups for Adults in Primary Care and co-editor of the national reference book Dietary Supplement Recommendations in Primary Care. She has also authored numerous book chapters focusing on family medicine, preventive medicine, nutrition, lifestyle medicine, and evidence-based integrative medicine.
She also contributed as an author to the 2026 National Primary Care Diagnosis and Treatment Guidelines published by the General Directorate of Public Health of the Turkish Ministry of Health.
Dr. Ürün Ünal has been invited to deliver lectures at numerous national and international congresses, particularly on evidence-based traditional and complementary medicine, functional medicine, lifestyle medicine, preventive healthcare, cancer screening, and primary care.
In addition to her research activities, Dr. Ürün Ünal actively teaches undergraduate medical students, family medicine residents, and healthcare professionals. She provides both theoretical and practical education in family medicine, preventive healthcare, cancer screening, lifestyle medicine, tobacco dependence treatment, evidence-based medicine, research methodology, and clinical communication while supervising residency theses and scientific research projects.
Dr. Ürün Ünal’s academic mission is to advance evidence-based primary healthcare by integrating preventive medicine, lifestyle medicine, functional medicine, and scientifically validated traditional, complementary, and integrative medicine. Through clinical practice, education, research, and international collaboration, she continues to contribute to the development of patient-centered, sustainable, and evidence-based healthcare.