Müge Çevik is a physician who is an infectious diseases researcher and science communicator at the University of St Andrews. Her research considers HIV, viral hepatitis, emerging infections and tropical infections in developing countries. During the COVID-19 pandemic, Çevik was an advisor to the

Chief Medical Officer Chief medical officer (CMO) is the title used in many countries for the senior government official designated head of medical services, sometimes at the national level. The post is held by a physician who serves to advise and lead a team of medical ...

of Scotland and the World Health Organization, and is a member o
New and Emerging Respiratory Virus Threats Advisory Group
- an expert committee of the UK Department of Health advisin
Scientific Advisory Group for Emergencies

Early life and education

She studied medicine at the Ege University Faculty of Medicine in Turkey. As a medical student, Çevik was involved with projects and youth organisations related to sexual health. She served on the executive committee of the International Federation of Medical Students' Associations committee on reproductive health. Çevik secured funding from the United States Embassy Youth Empowerment Grants to study HIV related stigma in health care settings. As a result of her advocacy, Çevik was invited to join the UNAIDS programme coordinating board meeting. Peer Education - Muge Cevik

She then moved to England and completed a master's degree in public health at the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine and University College London. Çevik completed her specialist training in internal medicine and doctoral research at the University of St Andrews.

Research and career

In 2016 Çevik joined NHS Lothian as a Senior Registrar in infectious diseases. Her research considers HIV and tuberculosis. Çevik is leading a phase 3 clinical trial that looks to reduce the treatment time for patients with drug resistant tuberculosis. In 2020 she was awarded a Clinical Academic Training Fellowship, supported by the Chief Scientist Office Scotland, to establish the biological mechanisms that underpin a poor response to tuberculosis treatment in patients in Kampala.

Leadership during the COVID-19 pandemic

During the COVID-19 pandemic Çevik served an advisor to the

of Scotland and the World Health Organization, and she was a member o
New and Emerging Respiratory Virus Threats Advisory Group
- an expert committee of the UK Department of Health advisin
Scientific Advisory Group for Emergencies
Throughout the pandemic she provided expert commentary to the public about coronavirus disease. Çevik made use of Twitter to keep the public up-to-date with

coronavirus Coronaviruses are a group of related RNA viruses that cause diseases in mammals and birds. In humans and birds, they cause respiratory tract infections that can range from mild to lethal. Mild illnesses in humans include some cases of the com ...

-related research. Working with

Colin McCowan Colin may refer to: * Colin (given name) * Colin (surname) * ''Colin'' (film), a 2008 Cannes film festival zombie movie * Colin (horse) (1905–1932), thoroughbred racehorse * Colin (humpback whale), a humpback whale calf abandoned north of Syd ...

, Cevik investigated household transmission of SARS-CoV-2 in Scotland. Working with the

International Severe Acute Respiratory and emerging Infection Consortium The International Severe Acute Respiratory and emerging Infection Consortium (ISARIC) is an international research initiative based in Oxford, England. It is hosted at the Nuffield Department of Medicine within the University of Oxford and led ...

(ISARIC), Çevik has looked to transfer clinical studies related to coronavirus disease to developing countries. She created a series of guidelines for clinicians outlining how they should respond to SARS-CoV-2. As part of her work with ISARIC, Çevik looks to identify the risk factors for severe illness in patients with Comorbidities such as HIV. She works with ISARIC on rapid scientific reviews that can inform government policy. Writing in the BMJ, Çevik highlighted the importance of ensuring HIV status and testing is included in the management of COVID-19.

Academic service

Çevik is Associate Editor of the Elsevier journal ''

Clinical Microbiology and Infection ''Clinical Microbiology and Infection'' (CMI) is a monthly peer-reviewed medical journal publishing original research and review articles that assist physicians and microbiologists in their management of patients and the prevention of infectious di ...

''. She serves on the steering committee of the

European Society of Clinical Microbiology and Infectious Diseases The European Society of Clinical Microbiology and Infectious Diseases (ESCMID) is a non-profit scientific international organization with headquarters in Basel, Switzerland. Its mission is to improve the diagnosis, treatment and prevention of inf ...

(ESCMID). Alongside her academic research, Çevik is interested in science communication and how physicians can best use social media to disseminate their research. She has made use of social media network analysis to understand how scientists and physicians use Twitter.

Selected works and publications

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References

External links

Muge Cevik
at University of St Andrews School of Medicine
Muge Cevik
at University of St Andrews {{DEFAULTSORT:Cevik, Muge Living people Year of birth missing (living people) COVID-19 researchers Turkish infectious disease physicians 21st-century British medical doctors Alumni of University College London Ege University alumni Turkish women scientists British women scientists 21st-century Turkish physicians 21st-century women physicians