Yonca Bulut, MD

Dr. Yonca Bulut is a Clinical Professor of Pediatrics in the Division of Pediatric Critical Care at the David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA. She has been part of the Pediatric Critical Care faculty at the UCLA Mattel Children’s Hospital since 2006. She received her medical degree from the University of Ankara, Turkey. She completed her residency in Pediatrics at the Children's Hospital Medical Center of Akron, Ohio and her Pediatric Critical Care fellowship at Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore, Maryland. In 1997, Dr. Bulut joined the Pediatric Critical Care faculty at Cedars Sinai Medical Center and in 2004, she served as Medical Director of the Pediatric ICU at Tarzana-Encino Medical Center.

Dr. Bulut’s research interests include the role of iron and the iron-regulatory hormone Hepcidin in bacterial infections. Her translational work focuses on the utilization of Hepcidin as a biomarker and a therapeutic agent for critically ill patients. Her research accomplishments have been recognized by national and private institutions, including the National Institutes of Health (K08 award), the Today’s and Tomorrow's Children's Fund and the Oppenheimer Foundation. Dr. Bulut’s work on iron metabolism in infection has been published in several prestigious scientific journals, including Blood, Cell Host and Microbe, Infection and Immunity. In addition, Dr. Bulut’s clinical and research interests also include Patient Blood Management Systems, Transfusion practices in pediatrics and optimization of PICU care for Pediatric Acute Fulminant Liver Failure patients. 

As an educator, Dr. Bulut is involved in pediatric resident teaching and simulation training for pediatric residents and medical students. She is the recipient of the Robert C. Neerhout faculty award for contributions to pediatric resident education. Dr. Bulut is the PICU elective chair for the 4th year medical students at The David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA since 2014.

Dr. Bulut is board-certified by the American Board of Pediatrics in General Pediatrics and Pediatric Critical Care.