Mohammad Reza Pourmahammadi was born in 1958 in Tabriz. After finishing primary school and high school in Tabriz, he joined Tabriz University to study geography and urban planning in 1977. He completed master´s and PhD’s degree at Cardiff University (UWIST) in England.

Returning back to Iran he started teaching as a lecturer in Tabriz University. Between 1991 to 2005 he worked as the dean of the faculty, deputy for students and cultural affairs, deputy for postgraduate studies, and the president of Tabriz University.

Ha was again the president of Tabriz University between 2013 till 2018.

He was appointed as the 14th provincial governor of East Azarbaijan with the consent of cabinet members in 2018.