Dr. Orhan Karakaya is a Associate Professor in the Department of Horticulture at Sakarya University of Applied Sciences, Türkiye. He received his BSc (2012), MSc (2015), and PhD (2021) in Horticulture from Ordu University, and his doctoral research focused on the molecular characterization of hazelnut genetic resources. His research integrates fruit physiology and molecular approaches, with particular emphasis on fruit growth, ripening, postharvest biology, and quality preservation in horticultural crops. He has extensive experience in evaluating biochemical and bioactive compounds, fatty acid composition, and physiological responses of fruit during pre- and postharvest stages, especially in hazelnut, sweetcherry, jujube, blueberry, medlar, and other temperate fruit species. His recent studies also focus on molecular diversity, marker-based characterization, and breeding-oriented evaluation of hazelnut germplasm. By combining morphological, biochemical, and molecular tools, his work contributes to a better understanding of fruit quality formation, genetic resource utilization, and sustainable horticultural production. He also serves on the editorial boards of several journals.