Ali Akbar Moosavi-Movahedi

Ali A. Moosavi-Movahedi (Born in Shiraz, 1953) is currently eminent Professor of Biophysical Chemistry at Institute of Biochemistry and Biophysics(IBB), University of Tehran. He was graduated from Tehran Alborz High School 1971, from National University of Iran (NUI) with a BSc in Chemistry, 1975, from Eastern Michigan University (EMU), USA, with a MSc in Chemistry (Bioanalytical Chemistry), 1979 and from University of Manchester, UK, with a PhD in Biophysical Chemistry, 1986. His research career has been mostly marked on thermodynamics of protein folding/unfolding. In recognition of his outstanding research in the field of science, he was awarded International Khawrazmi Prize, 1990, National Distinguished Professor, 1997, the first class medal for research, University of Tehran, 2003, National Eminent Character 2003, first rank medal for basic science research in Razi Medical Science National Festival 2005, Elsevier-Scopus International Award for Top Researcher in the Field of Biochemistry, Genetics & Molecular Biology 2007, Avicenna Festival First Rank Award for Top Researcher-2008 , Member of Iran Academy of Sciences, 2009 and first rank award and national eminent researcher 2009 is conferred in National Research Festival; Ministry of Science, Research and Technology of Iran, selected as Eminent Professor of University of Tehran 2010, prominent Professor appointed by Iran National Elites Foundation 2012 and Essential Science Indicators (ESI) 1% citation scientist in the field of Biology and Biochemistry 2013-until now, TWAS (The World Academy of Sciences) Fellow 2015, IAS (The Islamic Academy of Sciences) Fellow 2016, COMSTECH Award  for Lifetime Achievement Award in Chemistry 2021 . He has supervised PhD and MSc students and guides postdoctoral researchers in the cited area. He is the author of 20 books and numerous research full papers published in mostly international research journals mainly in the area of structural elucidation of protein, enzyme and DNA. He is a member of a few scientific societies in National and International level and is currently the president of Iran Society of Biophysical Chemistry. He is already the president of National Member Committee of International Council for Science (previous name ICSU) at University of Tehran.

He is one of the founding members of a number of scientific societies and institutions of science in Iran.

Professinal Experinence: 

Professor Ali A. Moosavi-Movahedi's scientific career has been mostly marked on thermodynamics of protein denaturation especially by surfactants, protein folding/unfolding, protein glycation, artificial enzyme and bioactive peptides. Denaturation study provides extra information on local and site-specific properties of biological macromolecule systems that lie at the heart of many biochemical regulation phenomena and are the basic key to biological control. Protein denaturation is a key technique to obtain the stability of protein in solution and understanding the protein function-structure relationship. The denaturation by surfactants provide the specific virtue of directly binding between biological macromolecules (e.g. protein, DNA) and surfactant complexes. The availability of binding data induced the chance to open up the way to extensive area of macromolecular ligand binding theories that provide a deep understanding of macromolecular interactions and cooperativity. He has also theorized and coins the terminology of "hydrophobic salts" in the literature for surfactants at low concentrations upon interaction with proteins. He is also extensively involved on biophysics of molecular diabetes on the area of protein glycation and studies the amyloid and fibril products in cellular and molecular actions. He has been elected to the UNESCO Chair on Interdisciplinary Research in Diabetes, at University of Tehran(ucird.ut.ac.ir), whereby he will lead a research study in molecular diabetes and define the theme "oxidative stress stimulates diabetes".

He has extended his research works on kinetic aspects of enzyme to study the enzyme function structure relationship as follows:

- Defining novel kinetic equations for the suicide inactivation and bisubstrate inactivation for enzymes

- Defining novel kinetic and thermodynamic theory to find the subsites of enzymes by calorimetry and binding pattern

- To design the artificial enzymes based on biomimetics systems

He has also extended his research on the digestibility, chaperon activity (anti-aggregation) and anti-oxidant activity of proteins and peptides derived from camel milk proteins for the production of the novel ingredients for producing functional foods as nutraceuticals.

To perform the aforementioned research works, he is working with the various physical techniques and methods such as: Isothermal titration calorimetry (ITC), Differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), uv-vis and fluorescence spectrophotometries, circular dichorism, densimetry, viscometry, tensiometry, temperature scanning spectrophotometer, cyclic voltametry, atomic force microscopy, transmission electron microscopy, dynamic light scattering, electrophoresis systems and computer facilities. He has also access to equilibrium dialysis technique and macromolecular interactions theories as well as chemical and biochemical procedures if required. He has estabilished highly equipped laboratory for collaborations and working with different national nd international research groups (bcl.ut.ac.ir). He is also the head of Center of Excellence in Biothermodynamics affiliated at University of Tehran ( cebiotherm.ut.ac.ir).

Professor Ali A. Moosavi-Movahedi has been one of the pioneering scientists in establishing the first PhD programs in Biochemistry and Biophysics in Iran. He headed to initiate of  a few institutional scientific centers in Iran.

He is also active in the area of popularization of science and he is currently the Editor-in-Chief, Journal of the named "Science Cultivation" [Science Cultivation is publishing with the following objectives: Policy research in science and technology, Promotion of science, assisting managers and policy makers in scientific centers, steering the direction of research for scientific elites and innovators in science and technology. This Journal attempts to create necessary context for the cultivation and fertilization of new area of sciences through monitoring, culture building and scientific capacity building] (sciencecultivation.ir).

He is one of the main scientists for supprting internationalization of science in Iran and the region.

He has headed to initiate a few scientific societies such as Iran Society of Biophysical Chemistry (isobc.com), Federation of Iran Biosocieties (firbs.ir) Iranian Peptide Society (http://irpeptide.ir/). He has constituted awards such as ISOBC award for senior distinguished scientists for the past ten years and Moosavi-Movahedi Award for young distinguished scientists that confers the awards in ISOBC congress annually. He also supports to organize National, Regional and International conferences in the field of Biophysical Chemistry and Biomolecular Sciences.

Link to research laboratory: bcl.ut.ac.ir