Nusret Hasan Fisek was a professor and director of the Institute of Community Medicine at Hacettepe University, Ankara, Turkey. He was born in Istanbul, the son of Hayrullah Fisek, a general, and Mukaddes Fisek (née Ertür). He was educated at Kabatas School and then went on to Istanbul University, where he gained a MD with high honours, and then Harvard University. He served in the Army Medical Corps between 1938 and 1939 and for a second period between 1943 and 1944.

From 1940 to 1942 he was a bacteriologist at the Central Institute of Hygiene. In 1943 he was appointed as chief epidemiologist to the Ministry of Health and stayed in the post until 1946. In 1950 he became head of the biological control division at the Central Institute of Hygiene. In 1958 he was appointed director of the School of Public Health. From 1960 to 1966 he was under-secretary of state at the Ministry of Health. From 1966 he was professor and director of the Institute of Community Medicine at Hacettepe University. Between 1966 and 1972 he was director of the Institute of Population Studies at Hacettepe University and between 1967 and 1971 dean of the School of Graduate Studies.

He married his wife Perihan in 1940 and they had two sons.

RCP editor