Prof. Jamshid Maddahi
Jamshid Maddahi was born in 1950 C.E., 1329 of the Persian calendar, henceforth P.C., to a religious Jewish family of Tehran, Iran. His father, Nasser Maddahi, taught Physics and Mathematics for a few years at Tehran high schools, before turning to private business. According to the Maddahi genealogical tree, his paternal ancestor was related to the family of Chacham Yedidia Shofet, an outstanding Jewish cleric of Kashan, and later, the Spiritual Leader of the Iranian Jewish community. His maternal ancestry, however, went back to Hakim Nour-Mahmoud Nahourai, one of the most renowned traditional physicians of the Royal Court of the Nasseraddin Shah, the King of Qajar.
Jamshid Maddahi studied at Roshdieh Elementary and Alborz High Schools. In 1967 C.E., 1346 P.C., at the age of 17, he placed first nationally in the high school finals for the Natural “Biological” Sciences, among nearly 100,000 students who had taken the exams that year across the country. Thence, he was honored to receive the Medal of Culture from the person of Muhammad-Reza Shah, the Pahlavi King. The achievement also allowed him to enroll in Tehran University without requiring him to take the national admissions exam known as the Concours.
In 1975 C.E., 1354 P.C., Jamshid Maddahi earned his Doctorate from the School of Medicine with the highest distinction. He then left for the United States to pursue his post-graduate studies abroad. In 1979 C.E., 1358 P.C., he received his Post-Doctorate Degrees with flying colors in four areas, namely, Gastroenterology, Cardiac & Vascular Diseases, Nuclear Medicine, and Cardiology, from UCLA. Also, still a post-graduate student, he had already begun research in the Cardiac & Vascular studies at the said university. Before long, Dr. Jamshid Maddahi was working as an Assistant Professor at UCLA and as the Chair of the Cardiac Nuclear Studies. However, that didn’t stop another of the greatest medical centers of the State of California, the Cedars Sinai Medical Center, from inviting him over for concurrent collaborations, a welcome opportunity that allowed him to further expand his academic pursuits.
Over the following years, Dr. Jamshid Maddahi went on to become an Associate Professor, before earning full tenure as a Professor at UCLA, in 1992 C.E. He further undertook the Chairmanship of the Cardiac Imaging, Nuclear Medicine and Positron Emission Tomography or Clinical P.E.T. Sections at the Biomedical Imaging Institute.
Over the course of more than three decades of active research, Prof. Maddahi has managed to offer his invaluable findings to his fellow experts in the Nuclear Medicine and Cardiac studies, through a variety of media, whether via such scientific outlets as books, journals and other publications, or by organizing symposiums on the latest in scientific research. Among them, he has published more than 100 accredited studies so far in the American scientific journals. For many years, he has also taught his innovations in professional techniques hands-on to a large number of physicians from across the globe who joined his team for their post-graduate studies. More broadly, he has presented his findings to fellow physicians and other experts all around the world through monthly and annual conferences, and by participating in numerous international symposiums. Thus, for the past many years, Prof. Maddahi has not only conducted research and taught at the University, but also he has continued concurrently to chair the Nuclear Cardiology and Positron Emission Tomography a.k.a. P.E.T. Sections of the Biomedical Imaging Institute.
Prof. Maddahi believes that every physician ought to receive continued professional education. As such, given his position as an experienced and committed figure in the academic affairs, he’s remained responsible for teaching his fellow colleagues and other experts in the pertinent fields. To that end, he considers it a duty to seize upon every chance and participate in the educational conferences on medical sciences, and to offer speeches on the latest scientific breakthroughs at the international symposiums, a routine which has taken him to the farthest corners of the planet. Prof. Jamshid Maddahi, in step with the colossal progress being made in contemporary technology, has invented many methods for treating cardiac illnesses. His inventions have been received warmly not only across the United States, but also throughout the world, as they’ve been put to use in most advanced countries to treat a range of cardiac complications.
Professor Dr. Jamshid Maddahi’s professional research has earned him numerous prizes and awards from various scientific centers, cardiac and nuclear medicine associations, the North American and Latin American nuclear cardiology institutions, as well as from the European and Far-Eastern scientific centers, besides Israeli universities. Among them, he has received the Plaque of the Outstanding Scientist, among the highest recognitions endowed in the United States. He’s also been invited for close collaborations by many of the accredited and advanced scientific centers of the world.
A busy schedule at home, and extensive contact with the other American and European scientists and scientific centers, leaves little time for other cherished pursuits, his cultural activities, in particular. Nevertheless, Prof. Jamshid Maddahi has held onto every opportunity to maintain his social and cultural ties as he used to in his student days. He loves the Persian history, culture and language, and on occasion, he carves out time to study about the ancient Persian art and history, taking a special interest in Judaism and the relationship between the Jewish history and the larger Persian and global history. As such, he has shown a lively presence at the cultural and social institutions. His personal interests have driven him to study about the Persian arts, particularly that artistic heritage which has been commingled with the religion of the Jewish people. Moreover, in his many trips around the world, he continues to visit the local museums at every chance available to him.
In 2005 C.E., Prof. Jamshid Maddahi joined the California Cultural Organization. He has actively participated in many seminars, presenting speeches on the Jewish social history and the problems facing the Jewish people, especially those in the Diaspora. In 2011, together with Rabbi David Shofet, the late Mansour Sinai, Mr. Jack Mahfar, and Prof. Nahid Pirnazar, they established the Amnon Netzer Center for the Iranian Jewish History and Heritage. The Center aims to preserve the legacy of that erudite figure, and to reflect and revive his invaluable endeavors. Efforts have been made via this foundation to collect and publish the late Prof. Amnon Netzer’s works and to follow up on his priceless pursuits. Indeed, not long after its establishment, with the collaboration of the other caring members of the Jewish community, a Conference Room was named after Prof. Amnon Netzer at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem.
In 1981 C.E., 1360 P.C., Prof. Jamshid Maddahi married his future wife Angela. The union brought one son and two daughters to the world, all of whom have received advanced education.
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