PhD, Deputy Director, Senior Researcher, Institute of Molecular Biology NAS RA, Yerevan, Armenia.
Head of Laboratory, Senior Researcher, CANDLE Synchrotron Research Institute, Yerevan, Armenia.

. E D U C A T I O N
2008 –2012 
PhD in molecular and cellular biology
Institute of Molecular Biology NAS RA, Laboratory of Human Genomics and Immunomics, Yerevan, Armenia
Title: Oxidative stress, complement lectin pathway and aberrant apoptosis in the pathogenesis of ischemic stroke
Supervisor: Prof. Anna Boyajyan

2006 –2008
MSc in Biophysics
Yerevan State University, Faculty of Biophysics, Yerevan, Armenia
Title: “Pathogen immune complexes in schizophrenia”
Supervisor: Prof. Anna Boyajyan

2002 –2006
BSc in Biophysics
Yerevan State University, Faculty of Biophysics, Yerevan, Armenia
Title : “The Study of etidium bromide - Hoechst - DNA Complexes”
Supervisor: Prof. Poghos Vardanyan

W O R K E X P E R I E N C E
2019 –2019
Postdoctoral Fellow University California San Francisco, Department of Neurology, Veterans Affairs Medical Center, San Francisco, US
2021 – present
Leading Scientist Institute of Molecular Biology NAS RA, Laboratory of Human Genomics and Immunomics, Yerevan, Armenia
2021 – present
Leading Scientist CANDLE Synchrotron Research Institute, Laboratory of Experimental Biology, Yerevan, Armenia
2015 – present
Deputy Director Institute of Molecular Biology NAS RA, Yerevan, Armenia
2017 – present
Head CANDLE Synchrotron Research Institute, Laboratory of Experimental Biology, Yerevan, Armenia
2013 – present
Lecturer International Scientific-Educational Center NAS RA, Teaching “Proteomics” and “Protein Engineering” courses for 1st year master students, Yerevan, Armenia
2015 – present
Lecturer Russian-Armenian University, Teaching “Protein Engineering and nanobiotechnology” and “Methods of Molecular Biology” courses for 5th year students, Yerevan, Armenia
2015 – 2021 
Senior Scientist Institute of Molecular Biology NAS RA, Laboratory of Human Genomics and Immunomics, Yerevan, Armenia
2015 – 2021
Senior Scientist CANDLE Synchrotron Research Institute, Laboratory of Experimental Biology, Yerevan, Armenia
2012 –2015
Postdoctoral Fellow Institute of Molecular Biology NAS RA, Laboratory of Human Genomics and Immunomics, Yerevan, Armenia
2006 –2012
Junior Researcher Institute of Molecular Biology NAS RA, Laboratory of Human Genomics and Immunomics, Yerevan, Armenia
2011 –2015
Scientific Secretary National Academy of Sciences, Division of Natural Sciences, Yerevan, Armenia
2010 –2012
Junior Researcher Yerevan State University, Faculty of Physics, Department of Molecular Physics, Yerevan, Armenia

G R A N T S
2021 –2024
“Grant for thematic studies” (21T-1F066). Committee of Science RA: “Pathological mechanisms induced by the ultrashort pulsed electron beam in whole body rat irradiation models”
2020 –2023
“Grant for laboratory strngthening” (20TTCG-1F003). Committee of Science RA: “Ultrashort pulsed electron beam irradiation induced neuronal alterations in rat brain”
2019 –2021
“Grant for young scientists 2019-2021” (19YR-1F045). State Committee of Science RA: “Mechanisms of synaptic dynamics in rat ischemic stroke in vivo”
2019 –2021
“Grant for Fundamental Research 2019-2021” (№ 19-14-00151). Russian Science Foundation: “Molecular and cellular effects of ultrashort pulsed radiation”
2019
“Grant for young scientists 2019-2021” (19YR-1F045). State Committee of Science RA: “Mechanisms of synaptic dynamics in rat ischemic stroke in vivo”
2019
Fulbright Fellowship for the Armenian Visiting Scholar Program (6 months) “Schiff base derivatives of amino acids as potential neuroprotective treatment in strokes”
2017 –2021
EU COST Action CA16225 “Realising the therapeutic potential of novel cardioprotective therapies (EU-CARDIOPROTECTION)”, MC Observer / Representative from Armenia
2018
2018 Addgene-Seeding Labs Plasmid Grant
2017
Travel Grant for the participation at the EAACI Congress 2017, 17-21 June, Helsinki, Finland
2017
“Travel grant for participation in Brokerage Events related to Horizon2020 as well as in Preparatory Meetings for the development of concrete project proposals for selected thematic calls within H2020” “Mediterranean Neuroscience 2017 conference and brokerage event, St. Julian’s, Malta, 12-15 June, 2017
2017
Horizon 2020- Project “EaP PLUS” Travel Grant for the participation at the Conference “Sharing experiences from Association to H2020”, 30-31 May, 2017, Chisinau, Moldova
2017 –2019
Bilateral grant for German-Armenian R&D projects and sustainable, institutional partnerships (N16GE-040). German BMBF and State Committee of Science RA "The effect of new radioprotective copper compounds as anticancer agents - TERCA"
2016 –2018
“Grant for young scientists 2016-2018” (16YR-1F011). State Committee of Science RA: “Pattern recognition molecules of complement lectin pathway in ischemic stroke”
2016
“Grant for book publication by young scientists”. Young Scientists Support Program: “Principles of Proteomics” in Armenian
2015
“Grant for acquiring scientific devices or reagents”. Young Scientists Support Program: “Polymorphisms in COLEC10 and COLEC11 genes in ischemic stroke”
2015
EU Travel grant for participation of EaP/CA countries in brokerage events, Riga, Latvia, July 2-3, 2015
2015
EU Travel grant for participation in brokerage event on Climate Change, Energy and Health, in framework of FP7 IncoNet EaP project (STI International Cooperation Network for Eastern Partnership Countries), in Kiev, Ukraine
2014
Two months research fellowship in Department of Biomedicine, Aarhus University, Denmark. Augustinus Foundation: “Pattern recognition molecules in ischemic stroke”
2013 –2017
European Project SYRA3 COST Action TD1205 “Innovative methods in radiotherapy and radiosurgery using synchrotron radiation”, MC Observer / Representative from Armenia
2013 –2015
“Grant for young scientists 2013-2015”. State Committee of Science RA: “Complement lectin pathway regulators in human ischemic stroke and schizophrenia”
2013 –2014
Grant of the “Young Scientists Support Program”. NFSAT, YSSP, CRDF. YSSP-13-19: “Complement lectin pathway genetics in human ischemic stroke”
2011 –2012
“Grant for PhD students 2011”. State Committee of Science RA: “Adaptive mechanisms in acute ischemic stroke”
2011
Grant of “Graduate Research Assistance and Support Program (GRASP-3)”. NFSAT, NAS RA, CRDF. ECSP-10-04_GRSP: “Мolecular mechanisms of protein and DNA damage in acute ischemic stroke”
2008 –2009
“Friendship” PhD Research Grant. Armenian charitable foundation “Development of Education, Science and Public Health”
2007
Grant for the participation in the “DESY Summer Student Program -2007” (2 months), Hamburg, Germany

A W A R D S
2018 ARPA Institute (US) Annual Invention Competition Award for the invention “Natural anti-aging compound”
2017 Best Abstract Prize at the EAACI Congress 2017, 17-21 June, Helsinki, Finland
2017 Mediterranean Neuroscience Society Award for the best young scientist at the “Mediterranean Neuroscience 2017 conference and brokerage event, 12-15 June, St. Julian’s, Malta
2013 Award for the best scientific project “Snails as antiaging compounds”. Young Scientists Support Program and Ministry of Sport and Youth Affairs
2013 Award for the best oral presentation at the Young Scientists Conference “New Aspects in Molecular Biotechnology and Biochemistry”, Yerevan, Armenia
2008 Award for the best oral presentation at the Young Scientists Conference "Perspectives for Development of Molecular and Cellular Biology", Yerevan, Armenia

I N T E R N A T I O N A L C O U R S E S
25/05/2015 – 29/05/2015
International Young Scientists School “Molecular and Cellular Bases of Host-Microbes Interactions-4: Immunogenomics”, Yerevan, Armenia
26/05/2014 – 08/05/2014
International Young Scientists School “Molecular and Cellular Bases of Host-Microbes Interactions: Genomics and Sequencing”, Yerevan, Armenia
24/02/2013 – 27/03/2013
HERCULES School on Using Synchrotron Radiation Facilities, Grenoble, France
26/05/2012 – 28/05/2012
Summer School for Young Scientists “Fundamentals of Management and Decision Making”, Dzaghkadzor, Armenia
20/02/2011 – 26/02/2011
FEBS Advanced Lecture Course “Trends in Genetics: Genomic instability and pathways of response”, Yerevan, Armenia
03/10/2011 – 07/10/2011
Course of Lectures “Molecular and Immunological Bases of Host-Microbes Interactions”, Yerevan, Armenia
27/08/2010 – 02/09/2010
FEBS Advanced Practical Course “Techniques in Free Radical Biology”, Debrecen, Hungary
19/07/2008 – 02/08/2008
“ZIBI International Summer School 2008”, Berlin, Germany
20/07/2008 – 26/07/2008
“Pathogen-Host Interplay” FEBS International Summer School, Berlin-Potsdam, Germany
25/07/2007 –18/09/2007
“DESY Summer Student Program 2007”, supervisor dr. Matthew Groves, EMBL, Hamburg, Germany

SCIENTIFIC VISITS WITH RESEARCH WORK
03/09/2018 – 09/10/2018
(Rostock, Germany) Rostock University, Department of Radiotherapy, Medical Center. Title - “The effect of new radioprotective copper compounds as anticancer agents”. Host scientist - Elisabeth Schültke, PD Dr. med.
17/08/2014 – 15/10/2014
(Aarhus, Denmark) Aaurhus University, Department of Biomedicine. Title - “Pattern recognition molecules in ischemic stroke”
Host scientist - Jens Christian Jensenius, Dr.Sc., Prof.
25/07/2007 – 26/09/2007
(Hamburg, Germany) EMBL – European Molecular Biology Laboratory. Title - “Characterization of protein behavior in crystallization experiments”. Host scientist - Matthew Groves, PhD

EDITORIAL ACTIVITY
2017-present EU independent expert (Expert ID: EX2016D290706)
2018-present 67TCyprus Research Promotion Foundation Expert for evaluation of67T proposals and management of funded projects of RESTART 2016-2020 Programmes for Technological Development and Innovation (Expert 63TIRID ID: 8062863T)
67TAd-hoc reviewer in several journals, including Experimental Neurology, GLIA, Cytokine, JCBFM, Journal of Biophotonics, Biomedical Optics Express, etc.
Member of editorial boards of Journal of Biology and Medicine (Peertechz), Clinical Neurology and Neuroscience (Science Publishing Group), Virology & Immunology Journal (MedWin Publishers), Asian Journal of Cardiology Research (SCIENCEDOMAIN international (SDI))

M E M B E R S H I P
2016-present Federation of European Neuroscience Societies (ID: AM28885) Full Member
2013-present EAACI - The European Academy of Allergy and Clinical Immunology (No:14628) Junior Member
2008-present FEBS – Federation of European Biochemistry Society Member of the Armenian Association of Biochemists
2011-present Armenian Association of Molecular and Cellular Biology and Immunology Full Member
2007-present Biotechnological Association of Armenia Full Member 

Books and book chapters
1. Mike Wood, Tom Cresswel, Carmel Mothersill, Gohar Tsakanova. Editors. NATO book: Biomarkers of Radiation In The Environment (BRITE). Springer: Netherlands. 2021. pp. 346.
2. G.Tsakanova, E.Arakelova, A.Melkonyan. Proteomics (In Armenian). Publisher. Elen Print. 2018. 165 pp.
3. G.Tsakanova, A.Boyajyan. Protein engineering (In Armenian). Lecture notes. Publisher "Science" NAS RA, Armenia. 2015. 50 pp.
4. Boyajyan A., Hovsepyan M., Arakelova E. & Tsakanova G. Neuroimmune alterations in diabetes: implications to molecular pathomechanisms of complications. In: Research on Diabetes II. iConcept Press Ltd., USA, 2014. 281-297.