Pain Research Center
| About the Center |
The Pain Research Center affiliated to Neuroscience Institute, Tehran University of Medical Sciences and located in Imam Khomeini Hospital Complex is dedicated to increase scientific knowledge about diagnosis and management of acute and chronic pain. The primary goal of the Center is to enhance national health indices through the development of strategies in pain medicine, the training of specialized researchers, and the integration of clinical services with academic research.
To meet these objectives the center’s activities encompass the experimental as well as the clinical fields. Our main focus is on the biological and molecular mechanisms of pain, development of new diagnostic methods and clinical testing of advanced pharmacological and interventional therapies. By connecting basic science, such as the study of neuropathic pain pathways in animal models, with practical clinical trials in regenerative medicine, nerve blocks, and neuromodulation, the center aims to deliver comprehensive, evidence-based answers for chronic pain prevention and management.
| Research Focus Area |
- Pain Diagnosis Methods
- Clinical Pain Treatment Studies
- Biological Mechanisms of Pain
- Chronic Pain Prevention and Management
- Psychological and Social Studies of Pain
- Pain in Special Groups
- Pain Epidemiology
| Expertise, Facilities & Research Services |
- Access to the operating rooms and specialized pain clinics of the Imam Khomeini Hospital Complex, Shariati Hospital, and Amir Alam Hospital as research fields.
- Ability to use advanced diagnostic methods and equipment of the hospitals
- Availability of cellular and molecular, and animal laboratories for basic science and animal studies
- Data registry system
- Provision of clinical services simultaneously with research activities
- Organizing at least four annual grant cycles (calls for proposals) to evaluate, fund, and approve innovative research projects
| Collaboration Opportunities |
- Multi-center research projects
- Collaborative research projects at international and regional levels
- Industry partnership projects
- Clinical research projects with basic science requirements
- Holding seminars, conferences, and workshops
| Director & Key Researchers |
Name of the Director: Dr. Mehdi Sanatkar
Name of Deputy Director: Dr. Alireza Khajehnasiri
List of principal faculty members (Research Council):
- Dr. Mehdi Sanatkar
- Dr. Seyed Ali Emami Meibodi
- Dr. Alireza Khajehnasiri
- Dr. Hossein Majedi
- Dr. Ebrahim Espahbodi
- Dr. Reza Atef Yekta
- Dr. Saereh Hosseindoost
- Dr. Babak Eslami
- Dr. Seyede Zahra Emami Razavi
- Dr. Seyed Khalil Pestehei
- Dr. Abbas Tafakhori
- Dr. Mahmoud Reza Hadjighassem
- Dr. Mojgan Rahimi
- Dr. Hamed Shafaroodi
- Dr. Shahram Samadi
- Dr. Hoda Kavoosi
- Dr. Koorosh Kamali
- Dr. Bahareh Fereydounnia
- Dr. Fatane Jamshidi
| Selected Achievements |
- Featured Publication Award (2024): The article "Cellular and molecular mechanisms involved in the analgesic effects of botulinum neurotoxin: A literature review" was selected as the premier article at the Imam Khomeini Hospital Complex Research Festival (June 2024).
- Outstanding Newly Established Center (2024): Recognized as the top newly established research center at the Imam Khomeini Hospital Complex Research Festival (June 2024).
- Significant Ranking Advancement (2024): Achieved a 24-rank promotion in the Ministry of Health's evaluation of research centers among centers with less than ten years of establishment
| Why Collaborate with Us? |
- National referral center at the Imam Khomeini Hospital Complex, Shariati Hospital, and Amir Alam Hospital
- Access to patient cohorts, including high-volume and rare pain conditions
- Strong translational research capacity, bridging basic science and animal models with targeted clinical trials
- Advanced research infrastructure for pre-clinical studies and interventional pain management
- Consistent financial support for research, featuring at least four annual grant cycles to review, approve, and fund innovative collaborative proposals.
- Exclusive databases and registries for chronic pain
- Multidisciplinary expert network of leading specialists from Tehran University of Medical Sciences
| Contact Information |
Official name of the Center: Pain Research Center, Neuroscience Institute, Imam Khomeini Hospital Complex, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.
Postal Address: Imam Khomeini Hospital Complex, End of Keshavarz Blvd., Tehran, Iran.
Telephone; +98 21 66 58 1627
Email: pain@tums.ac.ir