Prof. Ali Samadikuchaksaraei
Information
Skills
Activities
Education
Research
Publications
Memberships
Department: 
Department of Medical Biotechnology

Position: 
Professor of Tissue Engineering and Regenerative Medicine 

Biography:
Professor Samadikuchaksaraei has received his MD degree from Iran University of Medical Sciences in 1996 and his PhD degree from Imperial College London in 2005. His expertise is mainly focused on regenerative niche engineering for skeletal, integumentary and respiratory systems using stem cells and biomimetic materials. His publications, including book chapters, editorials, abstracts and original articles are published in collaboration with an international network of high-profile scientists around the world. Some of his research outputs have been patented for commercial purposes. Prof. Samadikuchaksaraei serves on the editorial boards of several journals and regularly reviews for many top publishers. Additionally, he reviews for granting bodies and patent and intellectual properties state organizations. Also, he has a long-standing experience in teaching the basic and advanced courses of tissue engineering and regenerative medicine to postgraduate biomedical and engineering students and to physicians in training. Prof. Samadikuchaksaraei’s academic and entrepreneurship activities have been recognized by several institutional and national awards and honors.

He is one of the first scientists who started working on tissue engineering and regenerative medicine (TERM) in Iran and has highly shaped and promoted the academic and industrial aspects of this field in the country. Prof. Samadikuchaksaraei has actively sought to create a national infra-structure to foster sustainable development in TERM. Hence, he teamed up with country’s leading scientists to found the National Education Board, the National PhD Program and the Iranian Society for TERM. He is a regular consultant for several scientitic and industrial sectors and start-up companies. 

Professor Samadikuchaksaraei founded the Department of Tissue Engineering and Regenerative Medicine at Iran University of Medical Sciences in January 2010 and served as the head of that department until April 2021. The Department ranked first in the First National Research Assessment Exercise of the Departments of Medical Universities released in November 2020.

Research:
The multidisciplinary field of regenerative medicine aims to repair, restore or replace normal function to the injured tissues and organs by effective therapies consisting of living cells, biomolecules and specially designed materials. Living cells, including stem cells, play a major role in this field due to their ability to secrete bioactive molecules and extracellular matrices, and directly affecting other cells and participating in the regenerative process. In the last decade, direct delivery of live cells, including stem cells, to the diseased tissues has been the focus of many comprehensive pre-clinical and clinical studies. Most of these studies revealed that the microenvironment (niche) that surrounds these cells in the host tissue has a profound impact on the result of cell therapy intervention, and therefore, integration of niche manipulation into the cell therapy protocols needs a particular attention. So far, different tissue niches have been studied in details in regards to the effects of signaling molecules and soluble factors. However, the effects of cellular components and physical factors, in both in vitro and in vivo settings, are not very well understood in most niches, especially in pathologic conditions. Prof. Samadikuchaksaraei’s research investigates the effects of niche components on cellular survival and healing potential, stem cells fate decision and the process of tissue regeneration in both in vitro and in vivo settings. His laboratory focuses particularly on engineering of skin, bone and lung regenerative niches. Until now, due to the particular histological and niche structure of skin and bone, several clinically approved products have been developed by different manufactures to augment their regenerative potential. However, when the normal niches of these tissues are severely disturbed by underlying conditions, such as diabetes, the efficiency of currently available modalities significantly decreases. On the other hand, lung has the most challenging and complex structure and niche as related to regenerative medicine, and no appropriate clinically approved regenerative therapy is available for this organ yet. Prof. Samadikuchaksaraei employs both common and challenging techniques to address the unsolved questions in these areas. This provides unique teaching and training opportunities for undergraduate and postgraduate students and postdoctoral fellows.

Qualifications:
2005: PhD in Tissue Engineering & Regenerative Medicine, Imperial College London, UK
1996: Medical Doctorate (MD), Iran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran

Other scholar activities:
2011-2012: Academic Visitor, Biological Systems Engineering Laboratory, Department of Chemical Engineering, Imperial College London, UK

2002-2003: Courses in Human Molecular Genetics, Department of Medical and Community Genetics, Imperial College London, UK

Teaching:
Principles of Tissue Engineering
Principles of Stem Cell Biology
Cell Culture
Basic and Advanced Molecular Cell Biology
Human Molecular Genetics
Medical Genetics

Patents:
25 June 2016: Samadikuchaksaraei A, Mehdipour A. Wound healing with minimal scar formation with controlled release of transforming growth factor beta 3. Patent No. 89143. Industrial Property General Office, Intellectual Property Office, State Organization for Registration of Deeds and Properties, Iran.

21 May 2016: Ghanbarian Noshahr H, Samadikuchaksaraei A, Gholipourmalekabadi M. Skin substitute made from human amniotic membrane and silk worm protein. Patent No. 88757. Industrial Property General Office, Intellectual Property Office, State Organization for Registration of Deeds and Properties, Iran.

13 December 2009: Jafari J, Bahar MA, Samadikuchaksaraei A. Chitosan-gelatin nano-electrospun dermal substitute. Patent No. 62570. Industrial Property General Office, Intellectual Property Office, State Organization for Registration of Deeds and Properties, Iran.

22 July 2008: Kazemzadeh Narbat M, Saki M, Samadikuchaksaraei A. Design and polymer foaming fabrication of a hydroxyapatite-alumina and silicon carbide composite scaffold for bone tissue engineering applications. Patent No. 50636. Industrial Property General Office, Intellectual Property Office, State Organization for Registration of Deeds and Properties, Iran.

Publications:

Data Bank Entries: 

Emails:
ali.samadiiums.ac.ir
samadikuchaksaraeiyahoo.com


Tel: (+98-21) 8862 2755
Fax: (+98-21) 8862 2533


Office Hours: Saturdays 12:00-14:00 pm