Partners

Tehran University of Medical Sciences (TUMS)

The Center for Research and Training in Skin Diseases and Leprosy (CRTSDL) is affiliated to TUMS, the first and largest modern medical university in Iran, founded in 1934. Established in 1992, the CRTSDL is located close to the main TUMS campus in central Tehran and is Iran's oldest and best-known dermatology research centre. The centre is devoted to research and training on various aspects of skin diseases and leprosy. Over the past 25 years, much of its work has focused on studying leishmaniasis, including clinical trials on vaccine and drug evaluation conducted in collaboration with partners including the WHO's Special Programme for Research and Training in Tropical Diseases (TDR), the WHO Regional Office for the Eastern Mediterranean (EMRO), Sweden's Karolinska Institute and Janssen-Cilag. The CRTSDL's team comprises dermatologists, dermato-pathologists, pharmacists, general practitioners, immunologists, basic science experts, researchers, graduate students, technicians, and administrative staffs. Staff at the Center are trained to work under good clinical practice (GCP) guidelines and can conduct studies ranging from laboratory bench to human clinical trials.

Team members

Professor Ali Khamesipour is a Deputy Research Director and occupies a chair at the CRTSDL (TUMS). He also runs the Iranian National Leishmaniasis Research Network (INLRN). He received his PhD from Southern Illinois University, USA, and underwent postdoctoral training at the University of California, Irvine. Since returning to Iran, he has studied leishmaniasis at the CRTSDL and served as a project initiator and co-investigator on numerous national and international leishmaniasis projects. He and his team formulated topical liposomal Amphotericin B treatment and conducted the associated research from lab bench studies to phase III trials. The product is now sold in Iran under the tradename SinaAmpholeish.

He will responsible for the ex vivo efficacy studies