Professor Tamara Sarkisian. MD, PhD, DSc: director of the largest medical/ university medical genetics institution (CMG) in Armenia and chair of the Department of medical genetics and molecular diagnostics of the YSMU. She is also the member of the European Society of Human Genetics (www.eshg.org) and of the ISSAID Society. She also served as the European Council Expert Group of European Health Committee (CDSP), and EU Council Recommendations on the impact of genetics on the organisation of health care services and training of health professionals were adopted by the Committee of Ministries to Member States in September 2010.  

Under her leadership the CMG was awarded by the Prize of the President of Armenia in 2000.

Her main research and clinical interests are clinical, genetic investigations and molecular diagnostics of Familial Mediterranean fever (FMF, Periodic disease) and rare diseases, how to bring genetics knowledge to the bedside and clinic. Prof. Sarkisian is also the Armenia`s coordinator of Eurordis, Orphanet, ISSAID. Twice she was certified as clinical laboratory geneticist by the Clinical Laboratory Genetics (ErCLG) of European Board of Medical Genetics (2017; 2022).

 

CURRENT POSITIONS:

1998 – Present: Director, Center of medical genetics and primary health care

2011 - Present:  Head of department of medical genetics and molecular diagnostics, Yerevan state medical university.

 

SCIENTIFIC DEGREES:

1996:   Doctor of Sciences (DSc); Advanced degree in Genetics and Molecular Biology (G.00.03).

1981:    PhD in Genetics (03.00.15): Degree of candidate of biological sciences (PhD).

 

PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE:

2009-2011:   Head of department of medical genetics, genetic epidemiology and molecular

                      diagnostics, National institute of health, MOH, Armenia

2000 - 2018:   Chief geneticist of Ministry of Health of Armenia.

1999 -2009:    Professor, Head of department of molecular medicine, Yerevan State Medical University.

1974-2002:     department of genetics and cytology, Yerevan State University:

                       Junior investigator; Senior Investigator Ass.Professor; Professor.

                                 

INTERNATIONAL PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE:

1994-1999:  CNRS fellowship, University Paris YI, France.

1998-2001, 2003, 2004: INSERM, France: Hospital Henri Mondor, Paris

2004:            Fogarty Scholar-in-Residence: Harvard School of Public Health, USA.

2004-2006; 2006-2008: Expert of CDSP (Health Committee), Council of Europe, Strasbourg:

“CM Document of European Health Committee: Recommendation CM/Rec of the Committee of Ministers to member states on the impact of genetics on the organization of healthcare services and training of health professionals”.

2006:              Fogarty Scholar-in-Residence: Harvard School of Public Health, USA,

2009-2011:     Expert of CDSP, Council of Europe, Strasbourg.

2012: Expert:  Guidelines for the genetic diagnosis of hereditary recurrent fevers. Brugge, Belgium;

2020: Expert: ISSAID/EMQN: Best Practice Guidelines for the Genetic Diagnosis of Monogenic Autoinflammatory Diseases in the Next Generation Sequencing Era, Genova, Italy.

 

MEMBERSHIPS:

2005-Present: President of Armenian Association of Medical Genetics.

2000-2020:     Member of European Cytogeneticists Association (ECA).

2000-Present: Member of European Society of Human Genetics (ESHG).

2005-2018:     Associate Member of Federation of European Biochemical Society (FEBS).

2002-2020:     Member of Editorial Board, "Clinical and Experimental Rheumatology".

2005-Present: Member of the International Society for Systemic Auto-Inflammatory Diseases (ISSAID).

2008-Present: Representative of ORPHANET in Armenia.

2010-2020:     Member of European Molecular Genetics Quality Network (EMQN)  

2017-Present: President of National Center of Expertise of Rare Diseases.

 

PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR (PI) AND AWARDS IN SCIENTIFIC PROJECTS:

1999:  Gulbenkian Foundation, Portugal: Scientific project in Medical Genetics’

2001:  ANSEF grant N 17-01 in Molecular Diagnostics, PI.

2001:  Djinishian Memorial Foundation: Scientific project in Medical Genetics, PI.

2002: NATO Collaborative linkage grant in Diagnostics of FMF and Related Diseases, Project coordinator.

2004:   US CRDF Project Proposal NETAW 21-04 in Human Cytogenetics.

2005:   ANSEF grant N05-NS-Molbio-8620, PI.

2008:  ISTC Scientific project A-1580: Genetics and Immunology of Autoinflammatory Diseases, PI.

2008:  European Commission: Seventh Framework Programme FP7-Health: CHERISH.

2010:  ANSEF Grant N NS1980: Molecular Genetics and Diagnosis, PI.

2010:  European Commission: Seventh Framework Programme:

            FP7-ERA-WIDE: INARMERA. Coordinator.

2013:   SCOPES: Joint Research Project: JRP N IZ73ZO_152347:

            Genetics of Human Disorders of Sexual Development.

2014:   EC-TEMPUS-MEDGEN: Developing Medical Genetics Education through Curriculum Reforms and Establishment of Postgraduate Training Programs (MedGen).

2014:   Project Grant of State Committee of Science of RA.

2015:   ISTC: Scientific Project N A2151, Scientific Leader:

            Molecular pathogenesis of mitochondrial OXPHOS diseases.

2018: Armenian association of human genetics: Project ART19-IGDsd1: New molecular technics applied for the detection and prevention of sexually transmitted infections in Armenia.

2020: HORIZON-2020: Call: H2020-WIDESPREAD-2018-2020: Twinning for the Armenian Research Infrastructure on Cancer Research (ARICE).

 

ORGANISATION OF SCIENTIFIC CONFERENCES AND WORKSHOPS, YEREVAN, ARMENIA:

2006:   FEBS Advanced Course: From Functional Genetics to Molecular Proteomics, PI.

2010:   ISTC International Conference: Modern Genetics in Health Care System, PI.

2014:   Meeting: Tempus IV Reform of Higher Education through International University Cooperation.

2015:   ISTC: Scientific Workshop: Project NSB89, PI.

2015:  4^th Int. Medical Congress of Armenia. Symposium on Medical genetics and molecular diagnostics.

2017:   ISTC: Scientific Workshop: DNA Sequencing Technologies and Their Application in Practice.

2017:   Tempus “MEDGEN”: National Day of Medical Genetics in Armenia.

2019:  5^th Int. Medical Congress of Armenia. Symposium on Medical genetics and molecular diagnostics.

2022: Конференция «Медицинская генетика -практические аспекты для врачей генетиков, неврологов, педиатров, гастроэнтерологов, неонатологов, терапевтов, эндокринологов».

2023: “Cancer research and current molecular testing in application”. Int. conference.

2024.  International conference on rare diseases and familial mediterranean fever.

2024.  DNA days in Armenia; YSMU.

2024.  International conference: Reproductive genetics.

2024.  International conference: Medical genetics days in Armenia.

2025:  Oncogenetics:Modern Clinical Aspests. International conference, .

2025:  International conference: Autoinflammatory and Autoimmune disorders.

 

FELLOWSHIPS FOR TRAININGS:

1986:         University of Bratislava (exchange between universities)

1987:         University of Budapest (exchange between universities)

2000:         EGF: 1^st Course in Genetics and Renal Disease, Genoa, Italy

2001:         ESHG:  Workshop in FISH, Bari, Italy.

2001:         EGF: 1^st Course in Genetic Counselling in Practice, Genoa, Italy.

2003:        EGF: 3^rd Course in Genetic Counselling in Practice, European

                  School of Genetic Medicine,  Sestri Levante, Italy.

2004:        EGF: 5^th Course in Genetic Counselling in Practice, European

                 School of Genetic Medicine, Bertinoro, Italy.

2004:        New York State Center for STD/HIV Prevention Training, USA.

2004:        Intensive Clinical Course, Fogarty Scholar-in-Residence, USA.

2004:        Fellowship for training program: Maternal and child health, Cairo University, Egypt.

2005:        NATO Science for Peace Scientific Program:  Hospital Henri Mondor, Paris, France.

2005:        CRDF Collaborative Linkage Grant: Primex Clinical Laboratory, LA, USA.

2006:        Fellowship by Invitation from University Paris YII, France.

2006:        Fogarty International Research Collaboration Award, SUNY, New York,USA.

2006:        Fellowship: 17^th European Meeting on Dysmorphology, Strasbourg, France.

2006:       Fellowship: Gaslini Int. Conference on Rheumatology, Italy.

2008:       Fellowship for training course on Public health, National Research Centre, Cairo, Egypt.

2008:       ISTC Fellowship: Workshop of Eurogentest: “Towards accreditation” Nice, France.

 

PARTICIPATION AT INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCES:

2007:      ESHG Conference, Nice, France.

2008:      ESHG Conference, Barcelona, Spain

2009:      ESHG Conference, Vienna, Austria

2010:      ESHG Conference, Gothenburg, Sweden

2010:      CDSP Conference (Council of Europe): Lisbon, Portugal

2010:      Int. Conference: ”Autoinflammation”:  Amsterdam, Holland

2011:      ESHG Conference, Amsterdam, Holland.

2012:      ESHG Conference, Nurnberg, Germany

2013:      ESHG Conference, Paris, France

2014:      ESHG Conference, Milan, Italy

2016:      ESHG Conference, Barcelona, Spain

2016:      Conference INUNIMAI: Trainers for Trainers, Vienna, Austria

2017:      Conference: TEMPUS MEDGEN: Medical University Graz, Austria.

2017:      ESHG Conference, Copenhagen, Denmark

2018:      ESHG Conference, Milan, Italy

2019:      10^th Int Congress: FMF and Systemic Auto Inflammatory Diseases, Genova, Italy.

2022:       ESHG Conference, Vienna, Austria

2023:       ESHG Conference, Glasgow, Scotland

2024:       ESHG Conference, Berlin, Germany.

2025:      ESHG Conference, Milan, Italy.

2025:      XIII ISSAID Meeting, Paris, France.

 

PROFESSIONAL WORKSHOPS, MEETINGS, INVITATIONS WITH PRESENTATIONS:

2000: Meeting of International FMF Consortium:  NIH, Bethesda, USA: Oral Presentation.

2002: Member of International Advising Committee: 3^rd International Conference on FMF and hereditary inflammatory disorders. La Grande Motte, France: Oral presentation.

2003:  Fellowship by Invitation from University of Chicago (USA): Oral Presentation.

2005: Member of International Organizing Committee: The 4^rd International Congress on systemic inflammatory diseases. Bethesda, Maryland, USA, Oral Presentation.

2006: Conference in Medical Genetics, Poland, Warsaw: Oral Presentation.

2008: 5^th International congress on FMF and systemic autoinflammatory diseases, Rome, Italy. Member of Scientific Committee and Moderator.

2009:  Meeting of European Commission, University of Bologna, Italy: Oral presentation.

2009: European Conference on Dysmorphology, Strasbourg, France: ISTC fellowship: oral presentation.

2010: Hospital Armand Trousseau, Paris (France) Unite de Physiopathologie des maladies genetiques d`expression pediatrique.

2010:  Meeting of CHERISH Consortium (EC-FP7): Prague, Czech Republic: Oral Presentation.

2011: Meeting of CHERISH Consortium (EC-FP7): University of Bologna, Italy: Oral presentation.

2011: European Commission FP7 “CHERISH” Project annual meeting, Amsterdam. Oral presentation.

2011: CDSP Conference (Council of Europe): Strasbourg, France.

2011: Kick-off meeting of Orphanet, Europe, Paris.

2011: European Molecular Genetics Quality Network EMQN&EuroGentest: “Guidelines for the genetic diagnosis of Hereditary Periodic Fevers (HRF)”,  Bruges, Belgium.

2012: Final Meeting of CHERISH Consortium (EC-FP7): University of Bologna, Italy: Oral presentation.

2012: Symposium "Biobanks and biomedical collections - an ethical framework for future research”.  Strasbourg, CoE.

2013: 7^th Int. Congress of FMF and AIDS of ISSAID, Lausanne, Switzerland.

2015:  Conference: TEMPUS MEDGEN: Charles University, Prague (Chezk Republic) and Technion Institute, Hayfa. Israel.

2016: ESHG Conference and Training on TEMPUS educational program, Barcelona, Spain.

2017: Course on Molecular Diagnostics, NGS, Bioinformatics, Cancer genetics, Genetic Counselling. Rabin Medical Center, Israel.

2017:     Basics in human genetic diagnostics – A course for CLGs* in Education, Athens, Greece.

2019: International scientific congress: “Genetics of the XXI century”, Moscow, Russia.

2019:  EMQN: SAIDS Best Practice Meeting, Genova, Italy.

2022:  A training courses at the Medical University of Graz, Austria.

2022: ICH GCP E6 R2; The Global Health Network.
2023: Workshop: International Agency for Research on Cancer, World Health Organization (IARC/WHO).

2024: VI Всероссийский научно-практический конгресс с международным участием "Орфанные болезни"Медико-генетический научный центр им.академика Бочкова. Moscow, Russia.

         

MENTORSHIP: Superviser of PhD students and post-doctoral fellows.

Scientific Adviser of 8 PhD Theses in Genetics.

Scientific Adviser of 2 Doctor of Sciences Thesis in Genetics and molecular biology.

 

UNIVERSITY TEACHING:

• Department of genetics and cytology, YSU (1980-1998):

Lectures courses for students on:

Genetics, medical genetics, cancer genetics, cytogenetics, medical genetics.

• Department of family medicine, YSMU (1999-2011):

Lectures course on medical genetics for medical students.

•  Department of medical genetics and molecular diagnostics, YSMU (2011-Present):

Lectures course for medical students and residents on Medical genetics.