Dr. Birtan Demirel (35), who developed a fluency disorder at the age of 8 and could not fully overcome it despite many attempts, earned a PhD from the world-renowned University of Oxford without giving up in the face of difficulties. Refusing to give in to despair and never abandoning his dreams, Demirel achieved a historic success by earning a doctorate in experimental psychology from Oxford University after completing his education in brand communication at Izmir University of Economics (IUE). Proud to graduate from Oxford, a school where Albert Einstein taught and famous figures like Oscar Wilde and J.R.R. Tolkien studied, Demirel focused his research on ‘fluency disorders’ to inspire others who face similar challenges. Having written his master’s and doctoral theses on this subject and taken part in various projects, Demirel said: “My greatest goal is to find a solution to this problem and contribute to science.”
Originally from Izmir, Birtan Demirel began experiencing a fluency disorder as a child. His family visited many doctors in search of a solution, but despite all efforts, he could not achieve fluent speech. In primary school, even raising his hand or asking a question in class required great courage. Still, Demirel never gave up on his dreams.
NOT A DISORDER, BUT A COMMUNICATION STYLE
Over time, he began to overcome his reservations and started to see his condition not as a disorder but as a different way of communicating. Demirel’s academic success continued to grow. He completed his undergraduate studies in Business Administration at Dokuz Eylül University and his master’s degree in brand communication at Izmir University of Economics.
TEACHING AT OXFORD
Demirel, who continued his academic studies in psychology and neuroscience in Italy and Germany, after graduating from IUE, started studies on ‘speech’. After gaining experience in research design, programming, and brain imaging methods in Germany, Demirel was then accepted into Oxford University in the UK to pursue a doctorate in experimental psychology. Standing out for his hard work, Demirel completed his Oxford education in three years and received his diploma. He went on to become an academic at Oxford University, teaching neurophysiology and behavioral neuroscience.
“INSTEAD OF GIVING UP, I DREW MY OWN PATH”
Demirel shaped his career around his strong interest in psychology and neuroscience, aiming to turn it into scientific research that would benefit humanity. For him, pursuing a PhD at Oxford was not just a goal, but a way to work with the best in his field and develop himself. At Oxford, he didn’t just gain academic knowledge, he also met scientists from diverse cultures, expanded his perspective, and strengthened his passion. Demirel said, “Oxford didn’t just give me the title of doctor, it also gave me a mindset that keeps my curiosity alive and constantly encourages me to learn.” Reflecting on his childhood challenges, he added, “People’s stares and impatience were sometimes difficult to deal with, but I started to see them not as obstacles, but as opportunities for growth.” Expressing his desire to develop scientific projects that will improve the quality of life for people with speech disorders, Demirel shared details of a current project inspired by an experience at Oxford.
“I WAS ANXIOUS, BUT I ACCEPTED THE INVITATION TO SPEAK”
Demirel said, “In my first year of the doctorate, the foundation that funded my scholarship (Dominic Barker Trust) invited me to a fundraising gala. They asked me to give a speech at this event, which would be attended by about 100 people to raise funds for our research. I had never spoken in front of such a large audience in my life. I couldn’t believe it. Moreover, my speech disorder becomes most noticeable in situations where communication is critical. Nevertheless, I accepted the invitation without hesitation. Accepting it, however, did not remove my anxiety. For days, the thought that I might not even be able to finish a single sentence kept going around in my head. One night, while thinking about it, partly due to that anxiety, I came up with an idea. It might sound strange, but when I’m not in dialogue with someone, when I’m not trying to convey a message with my voice, my speech disorder almost completely disappears. Another interesting point is that if I speak the exact same words at the same time as someone else, my speech is entirely fluent. So, I thought, what if I recorded my own voice in advance and, while listening to it through headphones, gave my speech following it?”
“I FOCUSED ON MY OWN VOICE”
Demirel, who stated that he took the stage by applying this idea, said, “In my headphones was my own voice; in front of me were 100 pairs of eyes waiting curiously. I followed my voice word for word and said my first sentence. There was no stutter. The second sentence was fluent too. Almost without a single hesitation, I finished my speech in my natural tone. When it ended, I worried that people might think, ‘This person told us about their speech disorder, but they don’t actually have one.’ But I also knew that the moment I removed my headphones, I would say goodbye to fluent speech. You can think of this method like a pair of glasses, when you put them on, the world becomes clear; when you take them off, it’s blurry again. Later, during my PhD, we tested this method scientifically. The results are currently under peer review. Together with Prof. Dr. Tim Denison at Oxford, we are working to refine this method to give hope to others who, like me, face difficulties when giving presentations.”
“WE’RE STUDYING WHAT HAPPENS IN THE BRAIN”
Demirel continued as follows: “Prof. Dr. Tim Denison is a scientist who has developed groundbreaking innovations in areas such as epilepsy, pain, coma, and Parkinson’s disease, reaching over a million people worldwide with the methods his team developed. Meeting with him one-on-one every week to work on speech disorders is a great privilege for me. This method was only part of my doctoral research; the real journey is just beginning. We are researching ways to bring fluent speech into daily life without any assistive methods. For this, we are using brain imaging techniques like MRI, fMRI, and MEG to examine what happens in the brain just milliseconds before a stutter occurs. If we can identify these biological markers, we aim to intervene at the right moment, using methods such as magnetic stimulation, to make speech fluent before it even begins. This could lead to new learning in the brain and, over time, fully natural fluency.”
“NO ONE IS PERFECT”
Stating that he is striving to bring together advanced technology and some of the world’s best minds to address such a complex issue as speech disorders, Demirel also had a message for others with fluency disorders: “I presented my ideas to respected scientists from various departments at Oxford and received their support. I also got in touch with Stanford, Boston University, and New York University. Last November, I went to Boston and New York to deliver speeches in their laboratories. One day, speech disorders will be a thing of the past. Until then, we must remember that what we say is far more important than how we say it. In my life, I’ve had the chance to meet many extraordinarily intelligent and talented people, but I’ve never met anyone perfect. That’s why being someone who listens without judgment, with curiosity and interest, is enough to overcome many problems.”
