Dr. Nasser Nadjmi is a distinguished maxillofacial and craniofacial surgeon, Professor at the University of Antwerp, Belgium, and founder of the Nadjmi Foundation. He has devoted his professional life to the treatment of congenital facial anomalies—particularly cleft lip and palate—and to improving patients’ quality of life. He is regarded as one of the global pioneers in three-dimensional planning for maxillofacial surgery and in robotic surgery for patients with cleft palate. He has also developed a specialized treatment protocol that is now recognized and adopted in many leading centers worldwide.

Early Life and Personal Background

Nasser Nadjmi was born on 27 March 1965 (7 Farvardin 1344 in the Iranian calendar) in Tehran, Iran, into a middle-class family. His father was an employee of the Ministry of Culture and Arts, and his mother was a culturally minded homemaker who instilled in him a love of literature, poetry, and education. He spent his childhood, as well as his primary and secondary education, in Tehran, near Khwarizmi High School.

Following the Islamic Revolution and during the closure of universities, he was unable to pursue medical studies in Iran. During this period, while obtaining a qualification in building surveying, he prepared to receive a Belgian maritime scholarship and, in 1984, departed for Belgium.

Dr. Nadjmi currently resides in Antwerp, Belgium. He has two children, Julie and Kian. Julie studied medicine, while Kian is active in the fields of international business and the arts.

Education and Academic Path

The first stage of Dr. Nadjmi’s higher education was in maritime studies. He studied at the Higher Nautical College in Antwerp and graduated in 1987 as a navigation officer for merchant vessels. During this period, he spent more than thirteen months aboard ocean-going ships—an experience he has consistently described as one of the most important lessons of his life in confronting challenges.

Despite his success in the maritime profession, his desire to make a direct impact on human lives led him to change the course of his career. After learning Dutch within a short period of time, he succeeded in the entrance examinations for Belgian universities and simultaneously began studying medicine and dentistry at Leuven University.

His educational milestones include:

• Diploma in Mathematics from Khwarizmi High School, Tehran
• Graduate of the Higher Nautical College of Belgium in ship command/navigation
• Doctor of Dental Surgery (DDS) from the Catholic University of Leuven (KUL), 1992
• Medical Degree (MD) from the Catholic University of Leuven, 1995
• Specialization in Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery in Belgium
• Fellowship in Craniofacial Surgery in the United States
• Fellowship in Pediatric Congenital Facial Deformity Surgery and Facial Aesthetic Surgery in the United States
• PhD from Radboud University Nijmegen, the Netherlands, with a focus on the evolution of three-dimensional planning concepts in orthognathic surgery

Scientific and Professional Activities

In 2000, Dr. Nadjmi founded the first specialized cleft lip and palate treatment team at the University of Antwerp. He is now considered one of the world’s most recognized specialists in maxillofacial surgery, congenital anomalies, and facial reconstructive surgery.

Among his most important professional achievements are the following:

Pioneering Three-Dimensional Surgical Planning

Since 1998, Dr. Nadjmi has been among the first surgeons to apply three-dimensional design and planning to complex maxillofacial procedures. Today, the Department of Maxillofacial Surgery at the University of Antwerp is recognized as one of the world’s most active centers in the use of three-dimensional technologies.

Robotic Cleft Palate Surgery

In 2012, Dr. Nadjmi introduced the technique of robotic cleft palate surgery (TORCS) in Belgium. Today, all patients with cleft palate in the department under his leadership are treated using this method. He remains the only surgeon in the world to continuously employ robotic technology in the treatment of cleft palate.

Invention of the TS-MD Device

He is the inventor of the Trans-Sinusoidal Maxillary Distractor (TS-MD), an innovative and compact device designed to advance the maxilla and facial bones in children with severe deformities, replacing older and bulkier devices.

Authoring a Reference Book

In 2018, he published a comprehensive reference book on cleft lip and palate treatment protocols. This work is recognized as one of the authoritative resources in the field and has also been translated into Persian.

The Nadjmi Foundation

After more than fifteen years of voluntary work in Africa, India, and Southeast Asia, Dr. Nadjmi founded the Nadjmi Foundation in 2015.

The Foundation operates with three principal objectives:

1. Training local specialist personnel
2. Providing multidisciplinary and comprehensive treatment for children with cleft lip and palate
3. Establishing an international network for education and research to advance therapeutic knowledge across different countries

Over the past ten years, the Nadjmi Foundation has established three specialized cleft lip and palate treatment centers in Shiraz, Zahedan, and Tehran, where more than six thousand children have been treated to date.

At these centers, all services required by patients—including surgery, orthodontics, speech therapy, audiology, psychology, and long-term follow-up—are provided within a single integrated setting.

Humanitarian Missions

Dr. Nadjmi has performed hundreds of free surgical procedures in underserved countries, including Kenya, Vietnam, Myanmar, Indonesia, and India.

He was also present in Iran after the devastating Bam earthquake as a member of the Belgian medical relief team (B-FAST), contributing to the delivery of medical care and to the restoration of the region’s medical infrastructure.

“Run for Smile” Project

One of Dr. Nadjmi’s best-known social initiatives is the Run for Smile project. To raise public awareness and collect financial support for the treatment of children with facial deformities, he has participated in prestigious marathons around the world and has succeeded in running marathons on all seven continents, including the Arctic and Antarctica.

Current Positions

• Professor and Director of the Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery Training Program, University of Antwerp, Belgium
• Head of the Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, Antwerp University Hospital
• Director of the Cleft Lip and Palate and Craniofacial Anomalies Team, Antwerp University Hospital
• Honorary Professor, Shiraz University of Medical Sciences
• Visiting Professor, Tehran University of Medical Sciences
• Founder of the Nadjmi Foundation
• Founder of the Specialized Cleft Lip and Palate Treatment Center at Shiraz University of Medical Sciences
• Member of the Board of Trustees of the International Cleft Palate Foundation (ICPF)

Honors and Awards

Commander of the Order of Leopold of Belgium

In November 2017, King Philippe of Belgium awarded Dr. Nadjmi the country’s highest honor, the title of Commander in the Order of Leopold, in recognition of his scientific, medical, and humanitarian services.

Exemplary Physician of Belgium

In 2019, Dr. Nadjmi was honored as one of Belgium’s outstanding and influential physicians.

Vision

Dr. Nasser Nadjmi believes that surgery is not merely a means of changing appearance, but rather a tool for restoring self-confidence, self-esteem, and hope for life. More than three decades of his scientific, clinical, and humanitarian work have enabled thousands of children and adults around the world to gain not only a new face, but also a renewed opportunity for life, social connection, and the fulfillment of their aspirations. His mission has always extended beyond the treatment of disease; it has been a mission to create smiles, uphold human dignity, and build a better future for generations to come.