Irem AYLA ATLI
Her principle is
lifelong learning and
contributing to humankind.
İrem Ayla Atlı is a highly accomplished clinical dietitian with a dual academic foundation in Nutrition and Dietetics from Hacettepe University and Food Engineering from METU. In addition to her expertise in food science and nutrition, she is also a certified Dairy Technologist with specialized knowledge in the production and processing of milk and dairy products. Her scientific curiosity and commitment to innovation led her to pursue a PhD in the United States as a research fellow, where she contributed to the future of food by establishing the first cell-based food and tissue engineering laboratories at Texas A&M University. She also conducted research on PCOS, eating disorders, and food waste at the university’s Department of Nutrition.
In Türkiye, just as in the United States, she led pioneering initiatives across various institutions and organizations. She played a key role in launching and teaching laboratory-based courses such as food chemistry and microbiology at Biruni University. As a founding dietitian in several medical centers—including the well-established Eskişehir Anadolu Hospital—she introduced a personalized, sustainable, and holistic approach to nutrition therapy, significantly improving the health of thousands in a short time. She also contributed to shaping the future of the profession by supervising the clinical internships of many aspiring dietitians throughout her academic and professional career. She has also led innovative diet systems in Ankara and Nişantaşı, Istanbul, offering tailored meal services that go beyond traditional calorie counting.
Her U.S. clinical experience includes work at prestigious medical centers such as the Texas Medical Center, Baylor Scott & White Health, CHI Health, and MD Anderson Cancer Center, where she participated in advanced inpatient and outpatient medical nutrition therapy programs. Irem is a Certified Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery Dietitian with extensive training and joint practice experience in both Turkey and the U.S. She offers comprehensive pre- and post-surgical nutrition plans that ensure long-term success for bariatric patients.
She also specializes in Diabetes Nutrition Therapy. At Baylor Scott & White Health, she contributed to education-based programs and clinical interventions for both Type 1 and Type 2 Diabetes, focusing on prevention, insulin resistance, and medication reduction. She is certified in Carbohydrate Counting for Type 1 Diabetes and emphasizes sustainable, individualized management strategies.
In the field of oncology, she began her journey at Hacettepe Oncology Hospital and continued through LÖSEV and Medicana’s Bone Marrow Transplant Department, culminating in her clinical work at MD Anderson Cancer Center. This experience enriched her ability to design personalized nutrition plans that support both cancer treatment and prevention.
Irem is also Turkey’s first Integrative and Functional Medicine Dietitian certified by the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics. She completed clinical training at MD Anderson’s Integrative Medicine Department and applies a whole-person approach to chronic disease management through her signature model of “Personalized Holistic Medical Nutrition Therapy.”
Her pediatric experience spans infant feeding, food intolerances, and maternal nutrition—including preconception, pregnancy, and postpartum care. She supports women with PCOS, gestational diabetes, and clotting disorders through specialized nutrition planning.
Guided by the principle “not a diet, but a lifestyle,” Irem provides motivational, customized nutrition care that goes beyond static meal plans. She incorporates evidence-based behavior change therapy and is certified in Health & Nutrition Coaching from the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, helping her clients build lifelong healthy habits.
She has also gained extensive clinical training during her university years at leading hospitals, including Hacettepe University Hospitals, Gazi University, and Medicana International. Beyond clinical dietetics, Irem has a unique edge in food industry operations, having worked in food production, quality assurance, and microbiological analysis at companies like Yörsan, Barilla, and Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality Health Laboratories. Combining her expertise in both nutrition science and food systems, she offers a truly interdisciplinary, science-driven approach to health.