Professor Ünal was graduated from the Ege University Faculty of Medicine in 1993. She completed Public Health speciality training in the Dokuz Eylul University Faculty of Medicine, Department of Public Health between 1993 and 1999. Dr Ünal obtained a Master of Public Health degree from the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Israel (1998), and a PhD degree in public health from the University of Liverpool, UK (2004).
Dr Ünal’s research focused on noncommunicable disease epidemiyology, especially cardiovascular disease epidemiology, prevention and modeling the impacts of risk factor trends on mortality and morbidity. Her initial publications were on the England and Wales Model on CHD Mortality trend between 1980-2000. Dr Ünal was co-applicant of two successful European Commission FP7 Projects namely MedCHAMPS and RESCAPMED. 
Besides academic research, Dr Ünal extensively provides consultancy to the MoH in Turkey in developing policies and actions towards NCD management and prevention. She was consultant and editor of the national survey titled ‘Chronic Disease and Risk Factor Survey in Turkey (CDRFT) in year 2011. The survey provided necessary data on the prevalence of NCDs and risk factors to monitor the trends at the population level. She was also the consultant of Noncommunicable Diseases and Risk Factors Cohort Study in Turkey, which was 6 years follow-up study of 2011 Survey participants that aimed to determine the incidence of coronary heart disease, stroke, diabetes and cancer from a national cohort.
Professor Unal was invited to work as an expert at the WHO Regional Office for Europe in Copenhagen-Denmark between in 2016. Her task was to explore the impact of public health interventions on non-communicable disease risk factors, morbidity and mortality trends in Europe between 2000 and 2014. Currently Dr Ünal works at the WHO Country Office in Azerbaijan as a Public Health Expert.

Professor Ünal has over 20 years of experience in undergraduate and postgraduate education in;
-Epidemiology and research methods
- Noncommunicable disease epidemiology and control
- Community oriented primary care
- Communicable diseases  

Experienced Faculty Member with a demonstrated history of working in the professional research, training & coaching industry. Skilled in Analytical Skills, Coaching, Epidemiology, Research Design, and Lecturing.

She is certified as Occupational physician (MoLSS), Occupational physician trainer(MoLSS), Sleep Medicine Physician (Turkish Thorasic Society), Mental Health Education and Management in Occupational Medicine(EASOM), ILO pneumoconiosis reader, Problem Based Learning and tutors’ trainer, Basic Occupational Health Services trainer of health care workers', and for advanced epidemiology, Occupational health crossing borders and BOH(Ludwig-Maximillian University), Systematic Review in Occupational Health (PEROSH and Cochrane Work group), Occupational and environmental determinants of disease: multidisciplinary approach as a key for research and prevention (Univ.Brescia), Occupational Health Cochrane Systematic Rewiew & Meta-analysis (GMU Cochrane Policy Center &IPH HU), Geographic Information Systems Usage in Healthcare Management (GMU, HSE-biz & IPH HU). GIS master course UofG Geomatics, Leadership and management skills training for Occupational Health Professionals-FOM, Exposure Management Training on Lead, Asbestos, IRR, HAVS of FOM at UofG HWL, Occupational Hygenist Exam Board Comissionar, certified by ICSF &AIDII (EU & ISOlevel), Qualitative research planning and analysis and Nvivo training (Nvivo-TR), Trainer of MoH Disaster and Emergency management for Health (MoH),She is a member of International Commission on Occupational Health (ICOH) since 2003. 

1998 yılında İzmir Amerikan Kolejinden, 2002 yılında Hacettepe Üniversitesi Beslenme ve Diyetetik Bölümünden mezun oldu. Aynı yıl Dokuz Eylül Üniversitesi Halk Sağlığı Anabilim dalında yüksek lisans eğitimine ve aynı anabilim dalında araştırma görevlisi olarak göreve başladı. 2004 yılında yüksek lisansını, 2009 yılında halk sağlığı alanında doktorasını bitirdi. 2009 yılında yenice kurulmuş olan Ege Üniversitesi Beslenme ve Diyetetik Bölümünde, Bölümün ilk kadrolu öğretim üyesi olarak göreve başladı. 2015 yılında Beslenme ve Diyetetik Doçenti oldu. 2011 yılından beri Bölüm başkanlığı görevini sürdüren Reci Meseri, bu süreçte müdür yardımcılığı, dekan yardımcılığı, Sağlık Bilimleri Fakültesi Senatörlüğü gibi idari görevlerin yanı sıra pek çok kurul ve komisyonda yer aldı. Temel ilgi alanları araştırma planlama ve çözümleme, çocuk sağlığı ve hastalıkları, halk sağlığı- toplum beslenmesidir. Kendisi evli ve bir kız annesidir.