Malekzadeh is Distinguished Professor in Internal Medicine and Director, Digestive Disease Research Institute in Tehran University of Medical Sciences. He obtained his MD, specialty board of medicine and subspecialty board of gastroenterology from Shiraz University of Medical Sciences, Iran. He has worked in various capacities in Iranian medical education and research system. He was chancellor of Shiraz University; Minister of Health and Medical Education (MOHME); secretary of Iranian Academy of Medical Sciences and Vice Chancellor of MOHME. He has received 14 national awards including Razi, Avicenna, Yalda, Hadavi, Tabatabaei and Iranian Science awards. He has obtained International Agency for Research on cancer (IARC/WHO) Medal of Honor for outstanding contribution in research on cancer (2018). He is a member of 18 national and international academies and scientific societies. He has published 660+ papers in scientific international journals with 65,800+ citations and is among the top 1% world highly cited scientists in clinical Medicine based on Essential Science Indicators. His h-index is 90 in Scopus. He has established the Golestan Cohort and Persian cohort study in Iran.

Balali-Mood (MD, Tehran Univ., 1968; PhD, Edinburgh Univ., 1981) is prof. of medicine and clinical toxicology; co-founder, Medical Toxicology Research Ctr (MTRC).and Clin Toxicol Dept (CTD), Mashhad Univ. of Medical Sciences (MUMS); clin. toxicol. adviser, OPCW and IPCS-WHO. His previous positions include: asst. prof. and dir. medical education, Ferdowsi Univ. Mashhad; res. fellow and lecturer, Edinburgh Univ.; dirs. MTRC and CTD, MUMS; and pres., Iranian Soc. of Toxicology and Asia Pacific Assoc. of Medi. Toxicol. He has received Int. and Nat. awards for teaching, research and medical care by Iranian authorities and Intl. organizations including Natl. Research Medal, Int Prof. Alireza Yalda Found. Award 2011 and The 2015 OPCW-The Hague Award. The National Elite Foundation recognized him as the Father of Toxicology of Iran and held commemoration in his birth place (Birjand, Mood) on 29 October 2016. Chief editor, JBUMS and assoc. editor of AJM. His membership includes: Iranian Medical Council; Iranian Acad. of Medical Sciences; Ir. Soc. Toxicology; Europ. Assoc. Poison Centr. Clin Toxicol; Asia pacific Association of Medical Toxicology and Program Advisory Committee, IPCS-WHO.