Board of Directors: Dr. Aram V. Chobanian
Archbishop Khajag Barsamian, President
Mr. Kevork Hovnanian, Honorary Chairman/Founder
Mr. Randy Sapah-Gulian, Chairman
Dr. Edgar M. Housepian, Vice Chairman
Mr. Carl J. Bazarian, Vice Chairman
Ms. Annette Choolfaian, Vice Chair
Mr. Hagop Kouyoumdjian, Treasurer
Mr. Dennis R. Tarzian, Assistant Treasurer
Mr. Michael Haratunian, Secretary
Dr. Aram V. Chobanian has previously served as President of Boston University, Dean of the School of Medicine , and Provost of the Boston University Medical Campus. He founded the Whitaker Cardiovascular Institute at the Boston University School of Medicine in 1973, and oversaw its rapid development into a center for pioneering research into the biological and clinical aspects of cardiovascular disease. Dr. Chobanian played a leading role in the merger of Boston City Hospital with Boston University Medical Center Hospital to create Boston Medical Center . His leadership was also instrumental in the development of the BioSquare Research Park and in Boston University Medical Center 's receiving a $128 million federal grant to build a national biocontainment laboratory. Boston University recently awarded him with an honorary degree, Doctor of Humane Letters, honoris causa.
Dr. Chobanian has received numerous awards for his basic and clinical research on cardiovascular diseases. These include the First Lifetime Achievement Award in Hypertension of the American Heart Association, the Modern Medicine Award, the Award of Merit of the American Heart Association, the Abbott Award of the American Society of Hypertension and the Freis Award of the National High Blood Pressure Education Program. He recently chaired the Seventh Joint National Committee on Prevention, Detection, Evaluation and Treatment of High Blood Pressure of the National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute. He has published more than 250 papers and two books, and currently chairs the Publications Committee of the New England Journal of Medicine.
Dr. Chobanian has been involved in several programs to improve health care in Armenia. These have included the training of Armenian physicians, nurses, and other health professionals in emergency medicine, trauma care, and health care management; development of medical residency and post-graduate educational programs in Armenia; establishment of a successful medical student elective program for US medical students to spend one to two months in Armenian hospitals and clinics; and the provision of much-needed medical equipment, supplies, and medications to Armenia. He has been elected as a Foreign Member of the Armenian National Academy of Science. He is the recipient of the Gold Medal from the Yerevan Medical University. Catholicos Aram I recently bestowed the St. Mesrob-Mashtots Medal on Dr. Chobanian.
