April 19, 2002

The MGH Dermatology Department recently dedicated the Khosrow Momtaz Phototherapy Center to the memory of longtime MGH dermatologist Khosrow Momtaz, MD, (left) who died last year at the age of 53. The dedication began April 4 at Shriners Burns Hospital where the first memorial lecture took place to honor Momtaz’s contributions as a professional and a friend to department members. The dedication ceremony was held afterward on WACC 4, where the Momtaz Phototherapy Center now is located.

Colleagues and friends joined with members of the Momtaz family at the center, which features a special plaque and a portrait of Momtaz. The center was made possible through the Khosrow Momtaz Education Fund Committee, established to raise money for an annual lectureship and scholarship to train physicians in the field of phototherapy.

During his 24-year career at the MGH, Momtaz made many major contributions to the Dermatology Department and to the field of dermatology. He was known for his clinical research in psoriasis, photomedicine and laser dermatology. According to colleagues, Momtaz provided competent and compassionate care in the phototherapy clinic, the first such clinic in the nation where many new developments in phototherapy were first applied. He also was a co-founder of the MGH Laser Clinic, which was established in 1986.

According to one of his colleagues, Ernesto Gonzalez, MD, Momtaz was well known as an excellent clinician, investigator and teacher. "Khosrow was the unsung hero of our department and training program because of his demeanor and values. He never put his ego ahead of his responsibilities and passions," says Gonzalez. "His career as a clinician outside of the hospital environment also was stellar, attested to by testimonials from his loyal patients and peers."