Childhood
Village in Northern Cyprus where Huseyin's parents grew up
Family
Huseyin's parents were Turkish Cypriots raised on the small Mediterranean island of Cyprus. They emigrated to London, England when Cyprus was still a British crown colony, so their immigration process was streamlined. Huseyin's mother and father did not have college degrees; they worked very hard to build a life for themselves and their family in London, eventually owning their own barbershop and various properties.
Childhood
Huseyin and his sister were born in East London in the United Kingdom. Huseyin's family spoke only Turkish at home, so Huseyin didn't learn English until he started attending school. Because his home was within earshot of Bowe Bell, Huseyin was considered a "Cockney," a pejorative term for the residents of his working-class neighborhood.
Interest in science
Growing up, Huseyin was fascinated with nature and science. He still recalls some of his experiments, such as bisecting an earthworm. He remembers being curious about why both halves of the worm were still seemingly alive the following day. Such experiments solidified his love of science.
Huseyin attended college at the University of Westminster, where he pursued his interest in science. He was also passionate about the arts and wrote film reviews for his college newspaper. After graduating, he went on to earn a Ph.D. and then spent about a decade conducting postdoctoral research. Based on his research in the medical field he was invited to become a professor at Imperial College (University of London) where he researched brain damage in newborns.