My name is Sultan Aslanhan, and I am a Dietitian and Research Assistant at the Department of Nutrition and Dietetics, Faculty of Health Sciences, Istanbul Sabahattin Zaim University. My work spans gut microbiota and microbial metabolites in different obesity phenotypes, as well as the influence of neighbourhood walkability and food environments on obesity risk and health inequalities. I use nutritional epidemiology, metabolomics, and geospatial methods to investigate these relationships.
What does a typical workday look like for you?
No two days are exactly the same, which is one of the things I enjoy most about my role. As a Research Assistant, I balance teaching, administrative responsibilities, and research activities. My work includes coordinating internship placements for nutrition and dietetics students, supporting laboratory courses, and contributing to departmental projects. At the same time, I am in the data collection phase of my PhD, conducting participant assessments in a hospital setting. Much of the rest of my day is spent working on research projects, analysing data, reading the literature, and developing scientific manuscripts.
What first sparked your interest in working in the field of obesity?
My interest in obesity research began long before I entered academia. Several people in my family have lived with obesity, which allowed me to see firsthand how it can affect health, daily life, and overall well-being. As I trained to become a dietitian, I became increasingly fascinated by the complexity of obesity and the many biological, behavioural, and environmental factors that contribute to it. I realized that obesity prevention and care have the potential to improve not only individual health outcomes but also population health, which inspired me to pursue research in this field.
What’s one tool, method, or hack that makes your work life easier that you wish everyone knew about?
I rarely start with a method-I start with a question. I keep long lists of research ideas and unanswered questions, and I often spend time reflecting on them before deciding whether they are worth pursuing. Conversations with colleagues are also a key part of my process. Many of my research projects have evolved from questions that sat in my notebook for months before becoming a study.
How has being part of the ECN changed your journey so far?
Being part of the ECN has opened doors to opportunities and collaborations that I had not anticipated. In 2023, I attended the ECN Winter School in Antalya, where I met researchers involved in the OBCT project at Amsterdam UMC. Those initial conversations led to a research collaboration, and I was invited to contribute to the project. More recently, we presented the findings of our joint work as an oral presentation at ECO 2026. Through the ECN, I have not only built connections with researchers across Europe but also strengthened my network within Turkey. I met several members of the Turkish Association for the Study of Obesity (TASO) through ECN activities, and some of these connections have developed into ongoing collaborations. In fact, I am currently conducting my PhD research alongside researchers whom I first met through this network.
What has been the most rewarding or exciting project that you’ve worked on?
One of the most exciting projects I have worked on was a collaboration with Amsterdam UMC exploring the obesogenic environment in Turkey. As part of this research, we developed high-resolution spatial maps of walkability and food environments across the country and examined their relationship with socioeconomic inequalities. The project was particularly rewarding because it combined international collaboration, innovative geospatial methods, and the potential to inform public health policy. It also gave me the opportunity to work closely with researchers whose work I had long admired. I hope this collaboration will continue and lead to new projects in the future.
What’s one piece of advice you’d give to the “you” who was just starting out?
I would tell my younger self to engage in international collaborations as early as possible. Working with researchers from different countries has broadened my scientific perspective, challenged my assumptions, and created opportunities that I could not have predicted at the start of my career. If I could go back, I would have sought out international research networks and experiences, such as my visit to Amsterdam UMC, much earlier. I would also remind myself not to wait for the perfect moment or the perfect plan-some of the most valuable opportunities come from following your curiosity and being open to new experiences.
What excites you most about the future of obesity research?
What excites me most is the growing recognition that obesity is a complex and heterogeneous disease influenced by biological, behavioural, social, and environmental factors. I am particularly interested in how emerging fields such as microbiome research, metabolomics, and precision health can help us better understand the diversity of obesity phenotypes. At the same time, advances in spatial and environmental data are creating new opportunities to understand how the places where people live shape obesity risk and health inequalities. I believe that integrating these different perspectives will lead to more effective and equitable obesity prevention and care strategies.
Where do you see yourself in five years – what’s your dream project or role?
In five years, I hope to be leading independent research projects while maintaining strong international collaborations. My dream is to contribute to large-scale studies that investigate both the biological and environmental determinants of obesity and metabolic health, translating research findings into meaningful public health action. I would also like to play a role in strengthening collaboration between researchers in Türkiye and across Europe, helping to build networks that support innovative and impactful obesity research.
What kinds of projects or initiatives would you be most interested in collaborating on with other ECN members?
I would be particularly interested in collaborating on projects related to obesity phenotypes, metabolic health, gut microbiota, and environmental determinants of obesity such as walkability and food environments. I am also enthusiastic about cross-country comparisons, multicenter studies, and initiatives that promote methodological knowledge-sharing among early-career researchers. More broadly, I enjoy working in multidisciplinary teams and learning from colleagues with different scientific backgrounds and expertise.
Is there anything else you’d like the ECN to know about you?
As an early-career researcher from Türkiye, I am grateful for the opportunities that the ECN has provided to connect with researchers across Europe. Many of the collaborations and friendships that have shaped my research journey began through the ECN, and I look forward to continuing to contribute to and learn from this inspiring community.
Connect with Sultan!
Email: sultankesik@gmail.com
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sultankesik
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