Ahmet Rüçhan Akar was born in 1963, in Afyonkarahisar, Türkiye. After graduating from T.E.D., Ankara College received his medical degree from Ankara University Medical School in 1987 and has been practicing for 35 years.

In 1992, he qualified as a General Surgeon in Türkiye. He moved to Britain in the same year to broaden his surgical skills and compare other nations' standards. He passed the ECFMG and USMLE exams in 1993. He was drawn to the field of Cardiothoracic and Vascular surgery during his appointment at the Hammersmith Hospital under the direction of Prof. K.M. Taylor. During ten productive years in Aberdeen (Royal Aberdeen Sick Children's Hospital), London (Hammersmith Hospital), Glasgow (Western Infirmary), Sheffield (Northern General Hospital), and Leicester (Glenfield Hospital), he worked for several exciting consultants. He served as a specialist registrar at the cardiac and lung transplant unit at the Northern General Hospital for 24 months and as senior registrar at the department of cardiac surgery and ECMO center Leicester, Glenfield Hospital. After succeeding in Intercollegiate Specialty Examination in Cardiothoracic Surgery in May 2001, he returned to Türkiye.

He passed the Turkish Board for Cardiovascular Surgery in October 2001, qualified as an Associate Professor in April 2004, and became a Professor in April 2011 at Ankara University.

Primary research and clinical activities include surgery for advanced heart failure and heart transplantation, ventricular assist devices, total artificial heart, ECMO, heart valve repair, minimally invasive cardiac surgery, sutureless aortic valve replacement, coronary artery surgery, pulmonary thromboendarterectomy for CTEPH, arrhythmia surgery, aortic dissection, regenerative medicine, phlebology, improving mentorship culture in cardiovascular surgery, medical ethics, and history and philosophy of science. He has secured numerous research grants and published widely on these topics.

Between 2014-2020 he served as the Chief Medical Officer of Ankara University Cebeci Hospitals.

Between 2014-2017 he served as the Chief of the Department of Cardiovascular Surgery at Ankara University Medical Faculty. Between 2017-2019 he was elected President of the Turkish Society of Cardiovascular Surgery.

Between 2006-2014 he served as national coordinator for Türkiye in the "CORONARY Trial."

He worked as a member of the Institute Board of Ankara University Biotechnology Institute between 2009 and 2013, took an active role in establishing Ankara University Stem Cell Institute, and continued his duty as Deputy Director between 2010 and 2016.

Dr. Akar served as the Editor of the Turkish Journal of Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgery and Cardiovascular Surgery and Interventions between 2015-2017 and Associate Editor for the Interactive CardioVascular and Thoracic Surgery Transplantation section, Innovations: Technology and Techniques in Cardiothoracic and Vascular Surgery, between 2015 and 2021.

He is currently a member of several societies, including; the International Society of Heart Lung Transplantation, The Society of Thoracic Surgeons, The European Association for Cardio-Thoracic Surgery, The International Society for Minimally Invasive Cardio-Thoracic Surgery, The Society for Heart Valve Disease, Turkish Society of Cardiovascular Surgery, Society of Vascular and Endovascular Surgery, Society of Phlebology, Turkish Medical Association.

He currently serves on the Anatolian Journal of Cardiology editorial board and the Editorial Advisory Board of the Perfusion and Frontiers in Cardiovascular Medicine journals.

Dr. Akar serves as a referee for TUBITAK 1001, 1002, 1003, 1007, 2219, TEYDEP, and SANTEZ projects; as a reviewer of the Journal of Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgery, JTCVS Techniques, European Journal of Cardio-thoracic Surgery, Interactive CardioVascular and Thoracic Surgery, Frontiers in Cardiovascular Medicine, European Journal of Heart Failure, PLOS ONE, Frontiers in Cardiovascular Medicine, Cochrane  Circulation and Breathing, American Journal of Cardiology, American Journal of Transplantation, Artificial Organs, International Journal of Artificial Organs, Annals of Medicine, Stem Cell Reviews and Reports, Journal of Cardiac Surgery, Molecular and Cellular Biochemistry, Journal of Cellular and Molecular Medicine, Innovations: Technology and Techniques in Cardiothoracic and Vascular Surgery, International Journal of Cardiology, Vascular Health, and Risk Management, Bone Marrow Transplantation, Cell Biology International, Journal of Cardiothoracic Surgery, Vascular Medicine, A.N.Z. Journal of Surgery, Türk Göğüs Kalp Damar Cerrahisi Dergisi, The Anatolian Journal of Cardiology, Brazilian Journal of Cardiovascular Surgery, Turkish Journal of Haematology, Türkiye Klinikleri Journal of Surgical Medical Sciences, MN Kardiyoloji ve Journal of Ankara University Faculty of Medicine.

 Currently, Dr. Akar is a Professor at the Department of Cardiovascular Surgery, is the Director of the Ankara University Organ Transplantation programs, and is the Clinical Lead for the Heart Transplantation and Mechanical Circulatory Support Device Program.