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About / Overview
Dr. Tuna Ustunkaya was born in Budapest and raised in Ankara, Turkey. His name, “Tuna,” is the Turkish word for the Danube River that flows through Budapest. He attended Hacettepe University Medical School, one of Turkey’s top medical schools, where he graduated with highest honors, ranking 4th in his class of 150. As part of the combined MD/PhD program, he completed his doctoral research at the Joslin Diabetes Center/Harvard Medical School, studying the role of Factor XII in vascular edema. This experience sparked his lifelong passion for bringing novel therapies from research into patient care.
After medical school, Dr. Ustunkaya pursued postdoctoral research at the University of Pennsylvania, focusing on advanced imaging for the treatment of heart rhythm disorders. He then completed his internal medicine residency at the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center in Dallas, where he was honored as House Officer of Excellence as a senior resident and received the Ellwood Jones Award for Outstanding Graduating Resident in 2022.
He continued his training at Vanderbilt University Medical Center in Nashville, Tennessee, where he completed his cardiology fellowship. During fellowship, he developed expertise in preventive cardiology, lipid management, hypertrophic and genetic cardiomyopathies, and cardio-oncology, earning a certificate in cardio-oncology.
As a cardiologist, Dr. Ustunkaya is fully trained in all four major cardiac imaging modalities, echocardiography, cardiac MRI, nuclear cardiology, and cardiac CT. He believes strongly in diagnosing heart disease early and preventing complications before they occur, using advanced imaging and precision medicine to guide treatment. He is also passionate about expanding access to innovative therapies through clinical trials, and at Erlanger he serves as an investigator in multiple ongoing studies.
His research has been published in leading journals, including the Journal of the American College of Cardiology and Heart Rhythm, and he has contributed to book chapters in the field. An active member of the American College of Cardiology, he serves on national steering subcommittees and continues to advance patient care through both clinical practice and research.
Outside of medicine, Dr. Ustunkaya enjoys weightlifting, playing pickleball, trying new restaurants, water sports, and cheering on SEC football.
Education / Credentials
- MD, PhD Hacettepe University Faculty of Medicine - Ankara, Turkey
- Residency - Internal Medicine University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center - Dallas, Tx
- Fellowship - Cardiology Vanderbilt University Medical Center - Nashville, Tennessee
Locations
Erlanger Cardiology
979 East 3rd St., Suite C-520, Chattanooga, TN 37403
