Executive Committee

About Us

Executive Committee

Friends of AAMS

• Kevin G. Galstyan, MD, FACOG

  Dr. Kevin Galstyan is a graduate of Yerevan State Medical University; received his medical degree in 1996. He completed his Internship in General Surgery at the University of Illinois Metropolitan Group Hospital program; he then completed his residency in Obstetrics and Gynecology at Mount Sinai Hospital and Medical Center in Chicago, Illinois in 2006. Dr. Galstyan is a Diplomate of the American Board of Obstetrics and Gynecology and a Fellow of the American College of Obstetrics and Gynecology. He is an assistant professor at Midwestern University, AZCOM.

  Dr. Galstyan is currently in private practice at Glendale Memorial Hospital and Medical Center. As of January 2017, Dr. Galstyan has been serving as the chairman of the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology at Glendale Memorial Medical Center.  His expertise includes obstetrical care, gynecologic diseases and related outpatient and inpatient procedures.

  Dr. Galstyan has been an active member of the Armenian American Medical Society for the past 10 years and currently serves as a member of the executive committee of the organization.

  

• Vicken Sepilian, MD, FACOG

  Dr. Vicken Sepilian is board-certified in Reproductive Endocrinology and Infertility, as well as Obstetrics and Gynecology. He completed his residency in Obstetrics and Gynecology at Drexel University College of Medicine and his fellowship in Reproductive Endocrinology and Infertility at the University of Texas. While at the University of Texas, Dr. Sepilian received a Master of Science degree in Reproductive Medicine studying the impact of nutrition on reproductive health. Dr. Sepilian is the founder and medical director of American Fertility Specialists Medical Group and practices in Los Angeles and Glendale. Dr. Sepilian is the former President of the Armenian American Medical Society (AAMS). In 2008, he launched the AAMS “Your Health” Community Education Program that continues to air live on TV making house calls to countless Armenian households. In 2010, Dr. Sepilian was instrumental in launching the inaugural Glendale Health Festival and served as the Chairman of the organizing committee for the first two years. In 2012, Dr. Sepilian presided over a collaborative effort with colleagues in Canada of the ACMAO to train, staff and equip the Women’s Health Clinic in Stepanakert, Artsakh. This collaborative effort by the AAMS, ACMAO, and the Ministry of Health of Karabagh continues to operate and provide preventative and essential health care to women free of charge. In 2013, as president of the AAMS, Dr. Sepilian Chaired the 11th Armenian Medical World Congress, a quadrennial international multispecialty conference that was very well attended and was one of the most successful ones to date. Dr. Sepilian currently serves on the AAMS’ Executive Committee.

  

• Elizabeth Zoryan, RN

  

• Garni Barkhoudarian, MD

  Dr. Garni Barkhoudarian is an Assistant Professor of Neurosurgery and Neuroscience at the John Wayne Cancer Institute at Saint John’s Health Center in Santa Monica, CA.  Garni completed his undergraduate education at UCLA, majoring in Microbiology and Human Genetics.  He attended the University of Michigan Medical School, wherein he was the Edgar A. Kahn Neurosurgery Research Fellow.  He completed his Neurosurgery Residency at the UCLA Medical Center.  He then completed a fellowship in Pituitary Surgery and Neuroendoscopy at the Brigham and Women’s Hospital and Harvard Medical School.

  Dr. Barkhoudarian’s clinical interests are minimally invasive skull-base surgery, pituitary disorders, benign and malignant brain tumor surgery, neuroendoscopy, adult hydrocephalus, trigeminal neuralgia and hemifacial spasm, and head injury / concussion.

  He is the director of the Adult Hydrocephalus and Neuroendoscopy program where he works with Dr. Daniel Franc to treat patients with normal pressure hydrocephalus (NPH) amongst other diagnoses.

  He is the director of the Brain Tumor Center Skull-Base and Endoscopic Microdissection Laboratory.  Dr. Barkhoudarian is involved in a number of clinical and translational research studies, evaluating the genetics, diagnosis, treatment and results of patients with malignant metastatic tumors, meningiomas, chordomas and pituitary tumors.  He is also evaluating children as well as active and former NFL athletes with chronic, repetitive concussions and brain injury.  He has a special interest in the advancement of technologies for minimally invasive neurosurgical procedures.

  

• Rami Apelian, MD, MPH

  Rami G. Apelian, M.D., M.P.H. is a triple board certified neurologist in private practice in Arcadia, CA. He has subspecialty board certifications in Epilepsy and Clinical Neurophysiology. He also has an additional qualification in Neurosonology and is eligible for an additional qualification in Headache Medicine. A Southern California native, Dr. Apelian completed his undergraduate Bachelor of Science degree at UC San Diego where he majored in Animal Physiology and Neuroscience in 2000. He graduated from Tulane University in 2006 with a Doctor of Medicine degree and a Master of Public Health with a focus on Health Systems Management. While in New Orleans, he served as a board member of the Louisiana State Medical Society and as a Delegate to the American Medical Association. Following graduation, he completed his Internal Medicine internship at Tulane University and Charity Hospitals in New Orleans. In 2007, he returned home to Los Angeles and completed his four-year neurology residency at LAC+USC Medical Center. He was named Chief Resident during the 2009-2010 academic year. After residency, he completed a Clinical Neurophysiology fellowship at LAC+USC Medical Center, making him eligible for the subspecialty board exam which he completed in 2013. He subsequently certified in Epilepsy in 2016. He is a graduate of the exclusive J. Kiffin Penry Epilepsy Minifellowship which he completed in 2010 and completed subsequent education in Neuromodulation in the same program in 2018. He is current voluntary teaching faculty in the Department of Neurology at the Keck USC School of Medicine. He has served as a subinvestigator on a number of clinical trials and is currently serving as a consultant for multiple industry products across the neurological spectrum of disease. He remains an active member of the American Medical Association, the Armenian American Medical Society, the American Academy of Neurology, American Headache Society and the American Epilepsy Society. His interests are in migraine headaches and adult epilepsy, particularly in new-onset epilepsy in patients above the age of 65 affected by other neurological diseases, and recurrent episodes that have not been thoroughly evaluated.

  

• Boris Bagdasarian, DO

  Dr. Bagdasarian completed his undergraduate studies at CSU and the University of Southern California. His medical school training was conducted at the Western University of Health Sciences where he graduated Magna Cum laude. Dr. Bagdasarian was chief resident in Internal Medicine at the White Memorial Medical Center and continued to specialize in Hematology, Oncology and Bone marrow transplantation at the renowned City of Hope National Medical Center and UCLA where he was chief fellow. Dr. Bagdasarian is the managing partner of the Los Angeles Cancer Network, one of the largest Hematology and Oncology Groups in Los Angeles County. He served as an advisor, Vice-President, and President of the Armenian American Medical Society of California 2001-2009. He is previous president of LACMA district four, currently acting as a delegate for California medical Association. He is chairman of the Cancer Services at the Glendale Adventist Medical Center, and active member of the Board of Governors. He was recognized among the top oncologists in the US by the Scientific Research Council of America from 2007-2009. Dr. Bagdasarian is an Associate Professor of Medicine at USC and is actively involved in cancer research where he has been the principle investigator and co-investigator of numerous publications. He serves as an Oncology consultant for the media (ABC, CBS and CNN news.)

  

• Silva Karchikian, MD

  Dr. Silva Karchikian graduated from Yerevan State Medical School in 1972 and worked as an Internist in the small town of Vardenik, Martuni where she gained invaluable experience as a Physician and a community activist. Dr. Karchikian successfully passed all the state requirements and in 1984 became licensed to practice medicine in California. While working at UCLA-Wadsworth VA Hospital in clinical research in Diabetes, she began her private practice in Hollywood and later in the Glendale area. Over the past 10 years Dr. Karchikian focused on studying the role of lifestyle intervention in prevention of chronic diseases. Currently she has a Private Practice in Glendale, where she brings her knowledge and skills to serve the community. Dr. Karchikian was involved in founding the American Russian Medical Association where she continues to serve as an honorary member. In 1988 Dr. Karchikian became actively involved in AAMSC as a board member and went on to lead the organization as President from 1992-1996.

  

• Oganes Karapetian, DDS

  

• Jenia Jasmine Tahmasian, PharmD