Yonca Arat

Yonca Arat, MD, is a Professor of Ophthalmology & Visual Science at Yale School of Medicine and Chief of Oculoplastic Surgery. She specializes in ophthalmic plastic and reconstructive surgery, addressing eyelid and orbital pathologies, ptosis repair, blepharoplasty, lacrimal surgeries, and facial trauma reconstruction. Her clinical expertise includes managing benign tumors, cancers, and thyroid eye disease in both pediatric and adult patients. Dr. Arat holds appointments at Yale Eye Center and is affiliated with Temple Medical Center in New Haven, CT.

Education: Earned her MD from Hacettepe University School of Medicine (1997). Completed ophthalmology residency at Hacettepe University Medical School (2001) and Baylor College of Medicine (2008), followed by a fellowship in ophthalmic plastic and reconstructive surgery at Baylor College of Medicine (2004). Prior to Yale, she served as a Professor at Hacettepe University Hospital (Ankara, Turkey) and Associate Professor at Baskent University.

Research Interests: Focuses on oculoplastic surgical techniques, ocular surface dynamics, and age-related ocular pathologies. Her work includes innovations in blepharoplasty outcomes, imaging modalities for vascular disorders, and inflammatory ocular conditions. She has authored book chapters and over 50 peer-reviewed publications, with contributions to international conferences.

Recognition: Recipient of the Achievement Award from the American Academy of Ophthalmology.

Labs/Teams: Leads the Oculoplastic Surgery division at Yale, collaborating on interdisciplinary teams for complex facial and orbital reconstructions.