Executive Committee

About Us

Executive Committee

Other AAMS Committees

• Garni Barkhoudarian, MD, FAANS

  Garni Barkhoudarian, MD, FAANS, is a board-certified, fellowship-trained neurosurgeon with a focus on skull base and minimally invasive endoscopic surgery. Dr. Barkhoudarian has particular interest and expertise in pituitary and parasellar tumors, brain tumors, skull-base tumors (including meningiomas, craniopharyngiomas, chordomas and schwannomas), intra-ventricular brain tumors, colloid cysts, trigeminal neuralgia, hemifacial spasm and other vascular compression syndromes. For virtually all tumors and intracranial procedures, Dr. Barkhoudarian applies the keyhole concept of minimizing collateral damage to the brain and its supporting structures using advanced neuroimaging and neuro-navigation techniques along with endoscopy to improve targeting and lesion visualization.

  Along with Drs. Marisa Chang and Daniel Franc, Dr. Barkhoudarian leads the Pacific Facial Pain Center, which offers a 360-degree approach to trigeminal neuralgia, hemifacial spasm, glossopharyngeal spasm and other facial pain syndromes. This includes medication therapy, percutaneous procedures, stereotactic radiosurgery and endoscopic microvascular decompression of the trigeminal or facial nerves.

  As Director of the Pacific Adult Hydrocephalus Center, he works with Dr. Daniel Franc to treat patients with various condition involving cerebrospinal fluid anomalies. This includes hydrocephalus (obstructive, acquired and normal pressure), colloid cysts, cerebrospinal fluid leaks, intracranial hypotension and idiopathic intracranial hypertension.

  Dr. Barkhoudarian’s research interests include evaluating outcomes of pituitary and brain tumor surgery. He is also involved in the biomarkers research program for pituitary adenomas, meningiomas and metastatic brain tumors, as well as evaluating potential mechanisms and markers of invasive and atypical tumor progression. He is an investigator in a number of clinical trials evaluating the efficacy of various medical or chemotherapies for pituitary tumors and malignant brain tumors.

  As director of the JWCI / PNI Microdissection Anatomy Laboratory, he conducts neuroanatomical analysis, advancing the procedures and technology used for minimally invasive surgery. Research fellows from around the world perform observational fellowships for periods of 3-6 months at a time, allowing them to learn these techniques and apply them in their home countries. In collaboration with Dr. Daniel Kelly, PNI Director, Dr. Barkhoudarian also oversees the Clinical Neurosurgical Fellowship.

  Career Highlights

  Dr. Barkhoudarian graduated from UCLA in 2000 and received his medical education at the University of Michigan Medical School in 2005. He completed his neurosurgical residency at the UCLA Medical Center. He completed a Pituitary and Neuroendoscopy Fellowship with Dr. Edward Laws, at Brigham & Women’s Hospital in 2012. He is a member of the American Academy of Neurological Surgeons (AANS), the Congress of Neurological Surgeons (CNS), the International Society of Pituitary Surgeons (ISPS) and the Armenian American Medical Society (AAMS). He is a board member of the Congress of Neurological Surgeons (CNS), where he works with national colleagues to improve research, education and patient care in neurosurgery. He is an advisory board member of the Self-Assessment in Neurological Surgery (SANS) committee, writing questions to help advance the knowledge of neurosurgeons in training and in practice. Additionally, he is vice-chair of the education committee for the CNS, preparing educational content to advance neurosurgical care worldwide.

  

• Jenia Jasmine Tahmasian, PharmD

  Dr. Jasmine Jenia Tahmasian is a trained pharmacist and the owner of Glendale Urgent Care Pharmacy, serving the greater Glendale area since 2009.  She received her PharmD Degree from Western University of Health Sciences in 2007 and her passion for helping the community led her to acquire her pharmacy alongside her husband, who is also a pharmacist.  She is actively involved in her community through various programs, including offering internships and externships to pharmacy students in cooperation with pharmacy schools across the greater Los Angeles area.  Her passion to serve her community has led her to join many service organizations, including the NCPA and the CPHA.  Most passionately, she has been a member of the AAMS since 2009, on which she currently serves as a Board Member and through which she is actively involved in a number of humanitarian projects near to her heart.  Dr. Tahmasian speaks five languages and lives in the community in which she serves along with her loving husband and wonderful two boys.  

  

• Elizabeth Zoryan, RN, BSN, PHN

  Elizabeth Zoryan was born in Lebanon and moved to Los Angeles before her first birthday. She received her bachelors in nursing degree from Cal State LA in 2002. She is married to Kev Zoryan and together they have three children – Jacqueline, Andrew, and Michael. Liz has a passion to help others in the spirit of service within the community. She currently serves on the Armenian American Medical Society board as Secretary, is a former president of the Armenian American Nurses Association, and is actively involved with St. Peter Church, St. Leon Cathedral, AGBU Manoogian-Demirdjian school, the Armenian Educational Foundation.

  

• Talar Tejirian, MD, FACS

  Dr. Talar Tejirian is a board-certified general surgeon in Los Angeles.  She graduated Summa Cum Laude and with College Honors from the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) with a double major in psychology and neuroscience.  She received her medical degree from the University of San Francisco, California (UCSF) which ranks in the top five medical schools in the United States.  She completed five years of general surgical residency at the Kaiser Permanente Los Angeles Medical Center after which she did fellowship training in minimally invasive surgery at the University of California, Los Angeles.  

  For over 10 year, she dedicated her professional time to treating patients with a variety of surgical problems.  She is a fellow of the American College of Surgeons and a clinical instructor for medical students from UCLA.  She was also involved in training resident surgeons and performing research that has been published in peer-reviewed medical journals such as the Journal of the American College of Surgeons and the Journal of Colon and Rectal Surgery.  Additionally, she had authored book chapters, include a chapter in the SAGES Hernia Manual. 

  Dr. Tejirian has lectured on topics involving hernia repair and abdominal wall reconstruction at surgical conferences both in the United States and internationally.  She is a member of the International Hernia Collaboration and the Americas Hernia Society.  In the Americas Hernia Society, she holds leadership positions as Co-chair Communications Committee. 

   Dr. Tejirian brought The International Hernia Collaboration’s Comprehensive Hernia and Abdominal Wall Reconstruction Course to Armenia in 2019.  As course director, she gathered international experts in hernia repair to teach topics of great interest to the general and hernia surgeon, including many facets of inguinal and ventral hernia repair. 

  Currently, Dr. Tejirian has retired from clinical practice due to a physical disability.  However, she remains active in the field of surgery. Her passion is now focused on promoting health and wellness for surgeons and for the public at large. She is writing and speaking about surgeon physical health and injury prevention. 

  

• Sarmen Sarkissian, MD

  Sarmen Sarkissian, MD, is board-certified in internal medicine and hematology and oncology. Born in Lebanon, he was raised in Panorama City and attended Rose and Alex Pilibos Armenian School followed by Holy Martyrs Ferrahian High School. Dr. Sarkissian completed his bachelor’s degree in chemistry at UCLA and earned his medical degree at the University of California, San Diego School of Medicine. He then completed his internship through a categorical internal medicine program and served his residency at Los Angeles County + USC Medical Center. It was there that he developed an interest in oncology and hematology and subsequently completed his fellowship training at the University of California, Irvine Chao Family Comprehensive Cancer Center. Dr. Sarkissian is a practicing hematologist and oncologist, serving the cities of Ventura, Simi Valley, and Long Beach. He is also affiliated with City of Hope as an associate professor.

  

• Vicken Sepilian, MD, FACOG

  Dr. Vicken Sepilian is a Reproductive Medicine specialist and is the founder and director of American Fertility Specialists Medical Group. He is double board-certified in Reproductive Endocrinology and Infertility, as well as Obstetrics and Gynecology. Dr. Sepilian has been an active member of the Armenian American Medical Society (AAMS) holding multiple leadership positions, including serving as the President from 2009 to 2013. Dr. Sepilian served as the Chairman of the 11th Armenian Medical World Congress and currently is the President of the Armenian Medical International Congress (AMIC), a nonprofit organization with chapters all over the world, with the aim of coordinating global efforts in improving healthcare in Armenia. Passionate about community education, in 2008, Dr. Sepilian launched the “Your Health” educational TV program aimed at sharing with the community the latest and most important healthcare topics. Since 2008, the show has been making house calls to tens of thousands of viewers helping educate them on preventative care and healthy lifestyles. In 2010, Dr. Sepilian, alongside other civic leaders and the former Mayor of the City of Glendale co-founded the Glendale Health Festival. Dr. Sepilian worked closely with city and state officials and local hospitals to organize this large-scale event with the aim to improve the health of the community. Dr. Sepilian is a strong believer that success and wealth are measured by life’s experiences and human interactions and that true happiness and purpose are achieved by giving. Cherished memories include debates about life and death with Dr. Jack Kevorkian, delivering pens to students in villages in Sri Lanka and teaching chess to orphans in Nepal.

  

• Harry Balian, MD, FACC, FSCAI

  Harry Balian, MD, FACC, FSCAI, received his Medical Degree from Chicago Medical School in 1997. He completed his Internal Medicine Residency at the University of California, Irvine where he also served as Chief Resident. Completed his Cardiology fellowship at the University of California, Irvine where he served as Chief Fellow. Dr. Balian completed his Interventional Cardiology and Vascular training at the George Washington University in Washington DC. Dr. Balian specializes in the treatment of heart disease, coronary artery percutaneous interventions and pacemaker insertions. He also performs peripheral vascular interventions including carotid stents, endovascular abdominal aortic aneurysm stents, renal stents and lower extremity angioplasties. Dr. Balian is board certified in Internal Medicine, Cardiovascular Diseases, Nuclear Cardiology, Interventional Cardiology and Vascular Medicine. Dr Balian is the Chairman of department of cardiology since 2015 and the Director of Structural Heart Program at Glendale Adventist, he started the TAVR (percutaneous aortic valve replacement) program since 2016. Dr. Balian is and has been a member of the Executive Committee of AAMS Since 2006. He is a fellow of the American College of Cardiology, the Society of Coronary angioplasty and Interventions and the American Heart Association. He has been the Medical Director of the Cardiac Cath Lab at Glendale Adventist Heart & Vascular Institute since 2006 and past Medical Director of the Peripheral Vascular Lab at St Vincent Hospital. He is an Associate Clinical Professor at Western University School of Medicine.

  

• Michael Aznavour, DDS

  Dr. Michael Aznavour was born and raised in Los Angeles, CA. He received his Bachelor of Science (BS) in Biochemistry from California State University, Northridge in 2004 and received his Doctor of Dental Surgery (DDS) from the University of Southern California (USC) Ostrow School of Dentistry in 2011 and continuing to teach after graduating. He is the owner of AG Dental Studio in Montrose California, a family oriented practice dedicated to delivering the highest quality, comprehensive dental care for our patients using cutting-edge technology.  He offers a wide range of exceptional services including veneers, crowns, implants, extractions, Invisalign, periodontal treatment and root canals. He has built his practice around the principles of prevention, education, comfort, and quality. Dr. Aznavour is a proud member of the Armenian American Medical Society since 2014.  He is also a member of the American Dental Association (ADA), California Dental Association (CDA), Academy of General Dentistry, La Cañada Flintridge Chamber of Commerce and the Montrose Verdugo Chamber of Commerce.

  

• Sherwin Hariri, MD, FAAAAI, FACAAI

  Dr. Sherwin Hariri is a board-certified allergist & immunologist in Beverly Hills, CA. He completed his undergraduate studies at the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA), where he received his BS with a major in physiological sciences and a minor in Armenian Studies. He received his Doctorate of Medicine from Saint Louis University School of Medicine in St. Louis, Missouri. Dr. Hariri completed his internal medicine residency at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles, CA, after which he completed his specialty training in allergy & immunology at the UCLA West-LA VA fellowship program with pediatric rotations at Children’s Hospital Los Angeles. He is a clinical instructor of medicine at the David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA, where he teaches allergists & immunologists in training. Dr. Hariri is also an attending physician at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, where he sees and treats patients with complex allergic and immunologic diseases. Resident physicians from Cedars-Sinai rotate through his clinic, where he teaches them about his specialty. Dr. Hariri has been published in several medical journals. He is a fellow of the American Academy of allergy, asthma, and immunology, as well as a fellow of the American College of allergy, asthma, and immunology. Dr. Hariri also serves as an advisory board member for Lupus LA., where he lectures on allergic and immunologic diseases concerning patients with autoimmune diseases. He is also on the specialty panel for the Center of Undiagnosed Patients at Cedars-Sinai. Dr. Hariri is the Medical Director at Beverly Hills Allergy. He treats adult and pediatric patients with allergic rhinosinusitis, asthma, eczema, food allergies, immunodeficiencies, and various other skin conditions and allergic diseases. Appointed to the list of Super Docs featured in Los Angeles Magazine.