Cengiz graduated from the Faculty of Medicine of Istanbul Cerrahpasa University of Turkey and completed his residency at Claude Bernard University Lyon 1, Medical School, Department of Nuclear Medicine in 1994.  Receiving his  PhD degree in molecular biology and genetics from the same university in 2000.

Worked asa  postdoctoral research fellow at various institutions including; Massachusetts General Hospital of Harvard University, INSERM (French National Institute of Health and Medical Research) and subsequently at Faculty of Science of Ankara Bilkent University and Department of Medical Biology at Acibadem University; currently working at Bahrain Oncology Center (King Hamad University Hospital) in Bahrain.

Cengiz core research interests are the molecular genetic basis of cancer, complex and rare diseases he is currently involved in the development of new molecular tests utilizing whole exome, whole genome or targeted gene, identification of biomarkers for precision medicine and omics tests for early cancer detection.