Prof. Dr. Gönül Hiçsönmez received her M.D. degree from Ankara University medical School in 1961. After graduating she went on to specialize in Pediatrics and Pediatric Hematology at Ihsan Doğramacı Children’s Hospital, Hacettepe University, Faculty of Medicine in Ankara. She has been honored with Professor degree at Hacettepe University in 1975.
During her academic carier, her research interest has been focused mainly on the childhood hematologic malignancies. Since 1988,
her research activity has concentrated on differentiation and apoptosis inducing therapy by using high-dose methylprednisolone, as a novel treatment approach in children with acute myeloblastic
leukemia and myelodysplastic syndrome. She spent about a year between 1972 and 1973 in St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital. She continued to work at Hacettepe University until her retirement
in 2004. Dr. Hiçsönmez has published more than 70 articles in the field of childhood hematologic malignancies.
She was a member of different societies, and she spent great efforts to support the leukemic children as the head of the Children’s Leukemia Foundation at Hacettepe University
between 1973 and 2004. Dr. Hiçsönmez has received Prof. Dr. Ihsan Doğramacı Scientific award in 1979 and research awards from the Hacettepe University Medical School in 1998 and Turkish Scientific and Technical Research Council (TUBİTAK) in 1999.