My name is Murat Karataş, and I am a Pediatric Endocrinology Fellow at Dr. Behçet Uz Children’s Diseases and Surgery Training and Research Hospital, İzmir, Türkiye. My clinical and research work focuses on improving the evaluation and long-term care of children and adolescents with endocrine and metabolic conditions, with a growing emphasis on multidisciplinary obesity management and early-career collaboration in pediatric endocrinology.
What does a typical workday look like for you?
A typical workday for me is usually a balance between outpatient clinics, inpatient consultations, and academic work. Most days are clinically busy, involving the assessment of new patients, follow-up visits, treatment planning, and discussions with families.
I also work closely with a multidisciplinary team, especially in the management of childhood obesity, where coordinated care is essential. Alongside clinical duties, I try to make time for research, data analysis, manuscript writing, and preparing academic projects. This combination of patient care, teamwork, and research makes my daily work dynamic and very rewarding.
What first sparked your interest in working in the field of obesity?
My interest in obesity was first sparked during my pediatric training, when I met children and adolescents whose lives were affected by obesity in ways that went far beyond weight itself. I saw young patients struggling not only with metabolic and endocrine complications, but also with stigma, low self-confidence, family concerns, and the fear of what their future might look like.
These encounters made me realize that obesity care requires much more than giving lifestyle advice. Some patients and families make genuine efforts with nutrition and physical activity, yet still struggle to achieve meaningful weight loss, which reminded me how complex and biologically driven obesity can be. It requires listening carefully, understanding each child’s environment and challenges, and supporting families without judgment. This human side of obesity care deeply influenced me and motivated me to become more involved in this field.
What’s one tool, method, or hack that makes your work life easier that you wish everyone knew about?
One simple method that makes my work life easier is using structured templates and checklists. In busy clinical practice, they help me stay organized and avoid missing small but important details, especially during complex evaluations. I also use the same approach in research, where well-designed data collection forms save time and improve the quality of the work. It may sound simple, but a good checklist can make a busy day much more manageable.
How has being part of the ECN changed your journey so far?
Although I am still at an early stage of my journey with the ECN, it has already helped me feel connected to a wider international community of early-career professionals. It is inspiring to see the work, experiences, and career paths of other members who share similar interests and challenges.
Being part of the ECN has encouraged me to think more actively about collaboration, visibility, and leadership. It motivates me to become more involved, share my own perspective, and contribute to future activities within the network.
What has been the most rewarding or exciting project that you’ve worked on?
One of the most rewarding areas I have worked on so far has been multidisciplinary pediatric obesity care in my clinical setting. Being part of a team that supports children and adolescents with obesity through medical evaluation, nutritional guidance, psychological support, physical activity counselling, and long-term follow-up has been both exciting and deeply meaningful.
What I find most rewarding is seeing how a compassionate and structured approach can make families feel supported rather than judged. Even small improvements in a child’s health, self-confidence, or engagement with care can be very meaningful. This work has also inspired my academic interest in obesity and related endocrine conditions, and has motivated me to contribute to research and publications that may help improve clinical practice in this field.
What’s one piece of advice you’d give to the “you” who was just starting out?
I would tell myself to be patient, stay curious, and trust the process. At the beginning, it is easy to feel that you need to know everything and do everything perfectly, but growth in medicine and research takes time.
I would also remind myself to ask questions, seek mentorship, and be open to opportunities outside my comfort zone. Some of the most valuable experiences come from collaboration, learning from others, and not being afraid to make mistakes.
What excites you most about the future of obesity research?
What excites me most about the future of obesity research is the shift toward understanding obesity as a complex chronic disease rather than a simple matter of lifestyle. I think the field is moving in a very promising direction, with growing interest in the biological, genetic, environmental, psychological, and social factors that shape each patient’s journey.
I am especially excited about research that may help us provide more personalized and effective care for children and adolescents. With increasing access to genetic testing, I hope that diagnostic pathways for conditions such as monogenic obesity will become faster and more widely available, allowing eligible patients to access targeted treatment options earlier. I am also interested in better prevention strategies, multidisciplinary care models, and new treatment options for patients who need additional support. I hope future research will not only improve clinical outcomes, but also help reduce stigma and make obesity care more compassionate and accessible.
Where do you see yourself in five years – what’s your dream project or role?
In five years, I hope to be working as a pediatric endocrinologist with a strong clinical and academic focus on childhood obesity and related endocrine disorders. My dream role would be to contribute to a multidisciplinary pediatric obesity program where children and families can receive comprehensive, compassionate, and evidence-based care.
I would also like to develop research projects that connect clinical practice with real-world needs, particularly in areas such as personalized obesity care, early identification of high-risk children, monogenic obesity, and long-term outcomes. Beyond my own institution, I hope to be more actively involved in international collaborations and early-career networks, contributing not only as a clinician and researcher, but also as someone who helps build bridges between colleagues, centers, and countries.
What kinds of projects or initiatives would you be most interested in collaborating on with other ECN members?
I would be especially interested in collaborating on projects focused on pediatric obesity phenotypes that are frequently challenging in daily clinical practice. These could include monogenic obesity, early-onset severe obesity, obesity in children with neurodevelopmental or psychiatric comorbidities, and medication-related weight gain, particularly antipsychotic-associated obesity in adolescents.
I would also be very interested in multicentre projects exploring access to genetic testing, diagnostic pathways, treatment barriers, stigma, family engagement, and long-term outcomes in children and adolescents with obesity. Beyond research, I would be happy to contribute to ECN initiatives such as shared case discussions, educational webinars, mentorship activities, and platforms that allow early-career professionals to exchange clinical experiences across different countries.
Is there anything else you’d like the ECN to know about you?
I would like the ECN to know that I am very enthusiastic about being part of this community and learning from colleagues across different countries and backgrounds. As an early-career pediatric endocrinologist, I am especially interested in building collaborations around childhood obesity, multidisciplinary care, and clinically meaningful research.
I also hope to contribute actively to the network by sharing my own experiences from pediatric obesity care in Türkiye, taking part in collaborative projects, and supporting initiatives that bring early-career professionals together. I believe that connecting people with similar motivation can create opportunities that go far beyond individual work.
Connect with Murat!
Email: [email protected]
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