He was born in Kilis in 1977. He completed his primary, secondary and high school education in Gaziantep. He graduated from Gaziantep Anatolian High School in 1995. He graduated from Faculty of Medicine of Hacettepe University in 2003. Between 2004 and 2009, he completed his Orthopedics and Traumatology specialty training at Orthopedics and Traumatology Clinic at Ankara Atatürk Training and Research Hospital. Between 2010 and 2014, he served as a specialist in the Orthopedics and Traumatology Clinic of Yenimahalle Training and Research Hospital. Between 2014 and 2018, he served as the assistant chief physician at the same hospital.
In 2018, he was appointed as an assistant professor to the Department of Orthopedics and Traumatology at the Faculty of Medicine of Gazi University and became an associate professor in 2019.
Assoc. Prof. Tolunay's specialties are biomechanics, clinical biomechanics of the spine, implant design, and orthopedic tumor surgery.
He is a member of TITCK Advisory Committee on Advanced Therapies and Graft, TUBITAK TEYDEB USETED Advisory Board on Call Programs, and KOSGEB Committe on Strategic Products Support Program and has been taking active part in scientific committees since 2016.
He has been involved in scientific activities such as project review and monitoring at TUBITAK and served as a consultant and researcher in various projects.
He has published numerous articles in national and international scientific journals and has over 70 scientific studies. He has authored chapters in national and international books. And delivered oral presentations at national and international congresses.
He has 4 registered international patents and 2 national patents/utility models. His 3 national patents are under registration. All of these patents are on medical devices.
He was appointed as the president of TITCK president in August 2020.
He was appointed Deputy Minister of Health on 2 April 2021.
Assoc. Prof. Tolunay is fluent in English and is married with two children.