Professor Mesdaghinia, TUMS Faculty Member, Receives Prestigious Lee Jong-Wook Prize

On May 27, 2016, in the 69th World Health Assembly that is underway in Geneva, Switzerland, Dr. Lee Jong-Wook Memorial Prize, in appreciation of a lifetime of dedication toward the progress and advancement of public health, was bestowed upon TUMS faculty member Professor Mesdaghinia by the World Health Organization (WHO) Director General, Margaret Chan, OBE, JP. This prestigious prize, worth 100,000 dollars, is annually awarded to an individuals who has conducted lasting services to the progress of human public health and the services in this field.

As reported by IRIB, present at this meeting were high-ranking representatives of all world nations, including officials from Iran's Ministry of Health, Treatment and Medical Education, as well as the Iranian ambassador to Switzerland and Iran's representative at WHO.

Born in 1946, Professor Mesdaghinia has dedicated a lifetime of commitment to and leadership in strengthening the capacity of public health facilities and education systems in Iran. He has made outstanding contributions to research and control of communicable diseases in his own country, as well as the surrounding region. He has enhanced regional, national and international collaborations between TUMS School of Public Health and many organizations, including WHO, that specialize in education and research in public health.

Professor Mesdaghinia is a renowned professor in the field of Environmental Public Health, both nationally and internationally. For 28 years, he served as the Dean of TUMS School of Public Health, a national centre of excellence for public health training. He has taught and supervised numerous postgraduate students, conducted extensive research as the Head of TUMS Institute for Environmental Research, which he established 15 years ago, and published over 200 papers in peer-reviewed health journals. His role in the expansion and enhancement of education, research and management of public health is phenomenal. Among many significant achievements, he co-founded many peer-reviewed public health journals, established the international diploma course on malaria program planning and management, and promoted national laboratories for leishmania, malaria and virology. Professor Mesdaghinia was also appointed as Deputy for Public Health at Iran’s Ministry of Health and Medical Education from 2009 to 2012. Among many awards commendations, Professor Mesdaghinia received the Allameh Tabatabai Prize awarded by the Iranian President in 2014. He is also a permanent member of the National Academy of Medical Sciences in Iran.