Information
Membership Number: FCA3115
Membership Type: Fellowship
Division: Natural Sciences
Corresponding Email: mbalalimood@hotmail.com; BalalimoodM@mums.ac.ir; Mahdi.Balali-Mood@Newcastle.ac.uk; mbalalimood@hotmail.com
Homepage(s): https://twas.org/directory/balali-mood-mahdi
Present and Previous Positions
Assistant Professor and Head of the Poisoning Department, Imam Reza Hospital, and Director of Educational Affairs at Mashhad University’s School of Medicine (1974).
Assistant Professor at the University of Edinburgh Medical School (1981).
Full Professor, Department of Internal Medicine, Mashhad University of Medical Sciences, since 1988.
Board Member and Co-Founder of Birjand University of Medical Sciences (1990).
Editor-in-Chief of the Scientific Journal of Birjand University of Medical Sciences, since 1991.
Founding Member of the Iranian Society of Toxicology and Poisonings (1991).
President of the 3rd National Congress on Poisonings (1992).
Honorary Expert and Clinical Toxicology Advisor to the World Health Organization (WHO), since 1992.
Member of the Medical Commission of the National Research Council (1995–2001).
Member of the WHO’s IPCS (International Programme on Chemical Safety) Committee on Chemical Safety and Toxicology Planning (1998–2005).
President of the 5th National Congress on Toxicology and Poisoning (1998).
President of the 1st International Congress of Asia-Pacific Medical Toxicology (1998).
Vice President and President of the Asia-Pacific Association of Medical Toxicology (1990–2001).
Member of the Scientific Advisory Council of the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW), The Hague, Netherlands (2003–2011).
Permanent Member of The World Academy of Sciences (TWAS), since 1997.
Honorary Member of the Academy of Medical Sciences of the Islamic Republic of Iran (2025).
Official Examiner and Evaluator for toxicology and poisoning specialty programs at the Ministry of Health and Medical Education.
Fields of Scholarship and Research Interests
Professor Mehdi Balali-Mood was born on September 6, 1942 in the city of Mood, 30 km south of Birjand, South Krorasan, Iran. After receiving his high school diploma from Shokati High School in Birjand in June 1961, he earned a Bachelor’s degree in Chemistry in 1964 and later a Doctor of Medicine degree in 1970 from the University of Tehran.
In July 1978, he traveled to the United Kingdom to pursue a specialty program in Clinical Toxicology at the School of Medicine, University of Edinburgh. Remarkably, within the shortest possible time, he obtained a Ph.D. in Clinical Toxicology with honors in July 1981 and was appointed as a lecturer in the faculty of medicine of Edinburgh University. Although the dean of the medical school did not accept his resignation, he chose to return to Mashhad during wartime, driven by a deep love for his homeland. There, he began working as the head of the Poisoning treatment ward at Imam Reza Hospital, affiliated with Mashhad University of Medical Sciences.
He was promoted to full professor in 1988. Prof. Balali-Mood has had significant experience and expertise both in teaching, research, and in clinical medical practice.
Honors, Awards and Other Membership
Prof. Balali-Mood has received numerous national and international awards and certificates of appreciation in education, research, public health, and toxicology. His notable accolades include:
Iran’s Exemplary Physician of the Year (2000).
Khorasan Province’s Physician of the Year (2002).
Top Researcher of Mashhad University (1985).
Top National Researcher and Top Researcher of Mashhad University of Medical Sciences (2005).
Awards for Best Presentation and Best Poster from various international toxicology congresses.
Award of Excellence, Global Society for Emergency and Disaster Medicine (2006).
Iranian National Order – Expertise Award in Research, presented by the President of I.R. Iran (October 2011).
Highest Honorary Medal, Professor Yalda International Foundation in Medical Sciences (October 2011).
Honorary Medal, Asia Pacific Association of Medical Toxicology, Penang, Malaysia (November 2011).
OPCW – The Hague Award, The Hague, The Netherlands (November 2015).
Allamah Tabatabaei Prize, National Elite Foundation (November 2019).
The Art Award, by the Minister of Art and Culture, I.R. Iran (2024).
Selected Publications
https://scholar.google.com/citations?user=HQaoowUAAAAJ&hl=en
He is the author of 31 books and monographs in Persian and English, and has published over: • over 200 scientific articles in national and international medical journals • More than 300 abstracts presented at national and international medical and scientific congresses in Persian, English, and French.
Other Information
Balali-Mood (MD, Tehran University, 1968; PhD, Edinburgh University, 1981) is Professor of Medicine and Clinical Toxicology; Co-Founder of the Medical Toxicology Research Centre (MTRC) and the Clinical Toxicology Department (CTD), Mashhad University of Medical Sciences (MUMS); and Clinical Toxicology Adviser to the OPCW and IPCS–WHO.
His previous positions include Assistant Professor and Director of Medical Education, Ferdowsi University of Mashhad; Research Fellow and Lecturer, Edinburgh University; Director of both MTRC and CTD at MUMS; and President of the Iranian Society of Toxicology and the Asia Pacific Association of Medical Toxicology.
He has received numerous international and national awards for teaching, research, and medical care, conferred by Iranian authorities and international organizations, including the National Research Medal, the International Professor Alireza Yalda Foundation Award (2011), and the OPCW–The Hague Award (2015). The National Elite Foundation recognized him as the “Father of Toxicology of Iran” and held a commemoration in his birthplace (Birjand, Mood) on 29 October 2016.
He serves as Chief Editor of JBUMS and Associate Editor of AJM. His memberships include: the Iranian Medical Council; Iranian Academy of Medical Sciences; Iranian Society of Toxicology; European Association of Poisons Centres and Clinical Toxicologists; Asia Pacific Association of Medical Toxicology; and the Programme Advisory Committee of IPCS–WHO.
Acceptance Letter
I am pleased to have been elected as a Fellow
of the CORE Academy. My research has been
focused on the basic and clinical aspects of toxic
substances, particularly on organophophorus
(OP) and mustard compounds, toxic heavy
metals, biotoxins and drug overdosage. As a
result, several hundred papers have been
published in the high standard medical journals.
In addition, in collaboration with the
international researchers prepared reference
books on biotoxins, OP and mustard compounds
that was published by Springer.
I have served as a clinical toxicology advisor to
the World Health Organization (WHO) and the
Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical
Weapons (OPCW) for three to four decades. As
a result, several publications, including
practical guidelines for the treatment of
chemical casualties were prepared that are now
available on line free of charge.
Balali-MOOd_CORE Academy.pdf