Iranian Scientists Shine at INTARG® 2026 with PET-MRI-Based Brain Tracing Technology
Iranian researchers and inventors succeeded in winning the Gold Medal at the 19th International Invention and Innovation Contest INTARG® 2026 in Poland, in the fields of medicine (neuroscience) and nuclear medicine/pharmaceuticals, with their invention entitled:“SleepDx-Select™: Precision ¹⁸F Radiotracer for Early Molecular Imaging of Sleep Disorder-Associated Brain Dysfunction Using PET-MRI.”The event was held from June 1 to 3, 2026, in Katowice, Poland.
The technology team consisted of:
Reza Mosaddeghi Heris: Project Manager; inventor and researcher in the fields of innovative treatments for neurodegenerative diseases and cancers of the central nervous system; Doctor of Medicine from Tabriz University of Medical Sciences; senior researcher at the Clinical Research Development Unit of Valiasr Hospital, Tabriz, and the Neuroscience Research Center of Tabriz University of Medical Sciences; author of more than 50 scientific and research articles in prestigious international journals, including The Lancet and The Lancet Neurology, and author of 10 books in neuroscience and artificial intelligence; collaborator in Global Burden of Disease projects with the Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation (IHME), University of Washington, USA; and member of the editorial boards of Inflammopharmacology in Switzerland and The Journal of Headache and Pain in Italy.
Niloofar Taheri: Inventor and researcher in neurology, neuroimmunology, and pharmacology; Doctor of Medicine from Shahroud University of Medical Sciences and postdoctoral researcher at the Mignot Lab, Stanford University, USA; collaborator on an international neuroimmunology project on Parkinson’s and Alzheimer’s disease with Stanford University; author of dozens of scientific and research articles in neuroimmunology and neuroscience; founder of the Autoimmune Diseases Association at Shahroud University of Medical Sciences; and recipient of gold medals and special awards at international competitions for inventions, innovations, and new technologies.
Poorya Sadeghi: Inventor and researcher in neurology, medical education, computational neuroscience, and artificial intelligence in medicine; Doctor of Medicine and Master’s degree in Medical Education from Tabriz University of Medical Sciences; winner of the Medical Education Silver Medal at the 10th National Medical Olympiad; and author of dozens of international scientific and research articles.Alireza Taheri: Inventor and researcher active in artificial intelligence and its related technological applications; Master’s degree in Software Engineering; Project Manager and Senior Engineer for the development of smart-home systems; researcher and author of scientific articles and books related to the analysis and application of artificial intelligence in the implementation of intelligent healthcare systems.
Hanie Karimi: Inventor and researcher in brain imaging, artificial intelligence, and neuroscience; Doctor of Medicine and MPH from Tehran University of Medical Sciences; author and co-author of more than 50 scientific and research articles published in prestigious international journals, including The Lancet, as well as books published by Springer; involved in the registration of several international inventions while in Iran; international reviewer for reputable foreign scientific and research journals, with more than 100 peer reviews; recipient of gold medals and special awards at the IFIA and WIIPA world competitions for inventions, innovations, and new technologies in various countries; recently relocated to the United States and began working as a postdoctoral researcher at the University of Michigan, USA.Kimia Bagheri: Inventor and researcher in brain tumors, malignancies, and cancers of the central nervous system; Doctor of Medicine from Babol University of Medical Sciences and MPH from Shiraz University of Medical Sciences; author of dozens of scientific and research articles in prestigious international journals and several books and research works in neuroscience; collaborator on international projects, including work with Keck Medicine of USC, California, USA, in the fields of brain tumors and artificial intelligence; researcher in health-policy issues, particularly the overuse of medications in Iran;
member of the World Inventors Organization and recipient of a Gold Medal at the 2025 International Exhibition of Inventions in Geneva, Switzerland.Hamed Aghazadeh: Inventor and researcher in cancer, stem cells, regenerative medicine, drug-delivery systems, and formulation; microbiologist and holder of a Master’s degree in Pharmaceutical Engineering (M.Pharm.Eng) from the University of Tehran, and a Doctor of Pharmacy (Pharm.D) student.
The team, by presenting the innovative invention in the fields of medicine (neuroscience) and nuclear medicine/pharmaceuticals, entitled:“SleepDx-Select™: Precision ¹⁸F Radiotracer for Early Molecular Imaging of Sleep Disorder-Associated Brain Dysfunction Using PET-MRI”was awarded the Gold Medal at the INTARG® 2026 International Invention and Innovation Contest in Poland.Hamed Aghazadeh, CEO of NoyanGen Biotech Research and Technology Company and one of the inventors of the project, told our reporter that the INTARG® 2026 International Invention and Innovation Contest was held from June 1 to 3, 2026, in Katowice, Poland, by the Government of Poland and the Mayor of Katowice, with the direct support of the International Federation of Inventors’ Associations (IFIA), the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO), scientific and research organizations, inventor-related centers, and ministries of science, education, and research from various countries around the world.Aghazadeh continued: At this international event, inventors, universities, scientific centers, and innovative companies from 31 countries, including Iran, France, Germany, Romania, Malaysia, Taiwan, South Korea, and other countries, competed by presenting 250 inventions and innovations in various scientific and technological fields. This diverse participation demonstrated the highly international nature of the event and the connection between East and West in Katowice, Poland.
Given the support of major international organizations in the field of inventions, the event is regarded as one of the leading and most prestigious international scientific events in the field of inventions.Aghazadeh told our reporter that the inventions presented at INTARG® 2026 covered various scientific fields, including medicine, pharmaceuticals, engineering, technology, energy, environmental protection, safety, and industry, as well as practical solutions for improving everyday life.The inventions were evaluated by a multidisciplinary international jury consisting of university professors, technology experts, intellectual-property specialists, and industry leaders. The judging process was rigorous, transparent, and fair, ensuring that only the best inventions received recognition.He added that nearly 250 teams from more than 31 countries participated in the International and Specialized Invention and Innovation Competition INTARG® 2026, and that the team achieved first place worldwide in the fields of medicine and nuclear medicine/pharmaceuticals.Technical description of SleepDx-Select™Aghazadeh explained the innovative project as follows:The project introduces SleepDx-Select™, an innovative small-molecule-based radiotracer labeled with ¹⁸F, designed for the selective identification and measurement of brain dysfunction associated with sleep disorders in vivo.Unlike existing approaches, which rely primarily on the assessment of clinical symptoms and
polysomnography, SleepDx-Select™ enables non-invasive imaging of early molecular changes associated with sleep disorders before structural damage becomes apparent.The tracer was designed using one-step nucleophilic ¹⁸F-fluorination. The technology has high binding affinity and, through rapid uptake in the brain, demonstrates significant specificity toward molecular markers associated with neuroinflammation resulting from sleep disorders and impaired glymphatic clearance.The combination of this tracer with standard clinical PET-MRI technology enables the creation of a Sleep Molecular Disruption Index (SMDI), which integrates the intensity of molecular signals with regional changes in the brain.In vitro and in vivo studies demonstrated high selectivity, effective penetration across the blood-brain barrier (BBB), and desirable imaging contrast in relevant preclinical models.This achievement addresses an important diagnostic gap in sleep medicine and provides the potential for diagnosis before symptom onset, patient stratification, and more precise monitoring of treatment response.The platform uses GMP-compatible chemistry and existing imaging-scanner technologies, providing a scalable solution ready for clinical translation along the pathway toward Precision Sleep Medicine.#Reza_Mosaddeghi_Heris #Niloufar_Taheri #Poorya_Sadeghi #Alireza_Taheri #Hanie_Karimi #Kimia_Bagheri #Hamed_Aghazadeh
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