Delegate: Leila Emami
Delegate Short Bio: After completing medical school at Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Dr. Emami pursued an anesthesiology residency at Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences and became board-certified. She then joined the sleep program at the University of Chicago as a post-doctoral sleep medicine fellow from 2014 to 2016. Following this, she completed a six-month neuro-anesthesia fellowship at UCSF. Dr. Emami also successfully passed the USMLE exams and was matched with the anesthesiology program at Georgia Regent University in 2017. Later in 2019, she was accepted by the World Sleep Society to participate in the International Sleep Research and Training Program (ISRTP) at the University of Sydney, Woolcock Institute of Medical Research. She established three sleep labs in Tehran. Currently, Dr. Emami serves as an assistant professor and founder of sleep medicine section in the Anesthesiology Department of Shohadaye Tajrish Hospital, one of the largest Academic Centers in Tehran. Currently serving as an Honorary Professor at Avicenna Tajik State Medical University.
Scope of Activity: Individual activity
Activity: As an additional activity of World Sleep Day 2026, I reflect on recent academic activities conducted during my temporary stay in Tajikistan. Following this I visited Central Asian Medical University in Tashkent, Uzbekistan, where I had the privilege of meeting the Dean, Professor Sherzad Tuychiev, and Professor of Psychiatry, Dr. Murodbek Akhrorov.
Our discussions focused on the clinical and educational importance of sleep medicine and the potential for establishing a dedicated program within the university. The institution’s strong educational infrastructure and simulation capabilities highlight its readiness to support such an initiative.
This visit represents a continued effort to promote the development of sleep medicine across Central Asia, expanding ongoing initiatives from Tajikistan to Uzbekistan.
World Sleep Society reminds us that despite our different cultures, languages, borders and political conflicts we share the same biology, the same need for sleep, and the same desire to improve human health.
Location: Central Asian University
Date of Activity: March 27th 2026
