ARI Previous Chairmen
Mohammad Mehdi Akhondi
Founder of Avicenna Research Institute (ARI) and Avicenna Fertility Center
Chairman of ARI and Avicenna Fertility Center since its establishment until 2017
PhD in embryology from the University of Sheffield
Retired faculty member of Academic Center for Education, Culture and Research (ACECR) as a full professor
Dr. Akhondi, along with a number of his colleagues, founded the Royan Institute in 1988, and this institute began to provide infertility treatment services in 1990, following the transfer of new assisted reproductive technologies to the country. In 1998, Dr. Akhondi established the Research Center for Biology and Reproductive Biotechnology. Following the same path, with the expansion of this complex to three research centers of reproductive biotechnology, monoclonal antibody and biotechnology, Avicenna Research Institute (ARI) was established with more than 10 research groups and a consolidated biotechnology infrastructure in the fields of reproductive sciences and cancer. In addition to this research institute, he established Avicenna Fertility Center, with the aim of developing treatment based on research and applying the results of research for achieving more efficient therapeutic and diagnostic techniques. Dr. Akhondi retired in 2016, after 37 years of sincere cooperation in ACECR, obtaining brilliant and valuable achievements in embryology and reproduction. He is currently the member of the board of directors of the Iranian Society of Embryology and Reproductive Biology (ISERB).
Scientific and executive responsibilities:
- One of the chief founders of ACECR (1980)
- Founder of Daneshpey Institute (1985)
- One of the founders of Royan Institute (1988)
- The key figure who facilitated the transfer of assisted reproductive technology to the country (1990)
- Founder of Avicenna Research Institute (1998)
- Founder of Avicenna Research Institute publication office (2002)
- One of the founders of the National Committee on Ethics in Science and Technology and being its member since 2001
- Founder of Avicenna Fertility Center (2003)
- Founder of ARI Health-Tec Incubator (2003)
- Founder of Iranian Society of Embryology and Reproductive Biology (ISERB) (2011)
- Founder and chairman of Journal of Reproduction and Infertility (JRI) (1999)
- Founder and chairman of Avicenna Journal of Medical Biotechnology (AJMB) (2009)
Dr. Seyed Ali Azin
Holds a specialized board certification in social medicine from Tehran University of Medical Sciences, fellowship in medical and sexual health,
Faculty member at ACECR
From 2011 to 2013, Dr. Azin was a member of the board and manager at Avicenna Fertility Center and a member of scientific council and faculty member of Avicenna Research Institute (ARI). Also, from 2011 to 2014, he was in charge of the sexual health clinic of Avicenna Fertility Center. Prior to that, he was the director of Medical Department at ACECR. Dr. Azin worked as the chairman of ARI and Avicenna Fertility Center from February 2017 to February 2018.
In recent years, in addition to working as a faculty member of ACECR, he provided valuable research and educational activities as a member of the Middle East Committee of the World Association for Sexual Health and was the member of Persian Word Selection Group in field of "Health Sciences" and "Health Management" of the Academy of Persian Language and Literature.
