Senior author

In 1996, 20 neuroscience students in Iran signed their names in blood, pledging their commitment to studying the brain despite limited funding and facilities and US sanctions limiting travel and trade (see Nature 435, 264–265; 200510.1038/435264a). In the same year, Hossein Esteky, an Iranian who earned a PhD in Texas and did a fellowship in Japan, returned home to Tehran. He and several of the students who had taken the pledge joined forces, set up an electrophysiology lab and began studying cognition in monkeys. Their work shows how electrical stimulation of a few key neurons can help monkeys better perform facial recognition and categorization tasks (see page 692). Nature caught up with Esteky to discuss his work.

What obstacles did this research face?

It was hard. We didn't have the basic research infrastructure, and no one else in Iran was working with non-human primates. It took me about a year and a half to set up the first lab. Most of the equipment had to be obtained from the United States. Fortunately, medical instruments are not on the sanctions list.

Have you had any difficulties keeping in touch with research in the West?

We have tried to stay in touch. I've visited the United States several times since I left, but I have to go through Dubai in order to get a visa because there is no US embassy in Iran. Some of my students have not been able to get visas to attend US conferences.

How have your students progressed?

To begin with, I had to oversee the surgery on the monkeys that was required for the experiments, but the students soon learned to operate alone. Many of them are now in the United States. Seyed-Reza Afraz, the first author on the paper, is doing a PhD at Harvard University.

Why did you return to Iran after success in the United States and Japan?

To be with my family. I love my country. The brain drain going on the world is not healthy.

How do you think the current Middle East conflict is affecting research in the region?

At the moment Iran is relatively stable, and as a result science has been able to grow. Fifteen years ago, Iranians published 300-400 papers a year. Last year, we published about 4,000. But there are still few top-tier papers.

How has your work been received in Iran?

During the past five days I've been on TV and radio, up to six times a day. The public's understanding of the need for scientific progress is increasing here. Science can help us to improve our standard of living.