Department of Epidemiology

The Department of Epidemiology at Yerevan State Medical University was founded by Academician A.B. Aleksanyan in 1935. The department was headed by A.B. Aleksanyan from 1935 to 1971. Subsequently, the department were headed by Professor K.M. Degdzunyun  (1971–1990), Associate Professor V.H. Hovasapyan (1990–1995), Professor A.Dz. Hambardzumyan (1995–2011), Professor H.S. Hovhannisyan (2011–2014), Professor A.Dz. Hambardzumyan (2014-2023). Since 2024, the department has been headed by Professor Mary Ter-Stepanyan.

Throughout its activity, alongside its educational work, the department has made a significant contribution to the development of the science of epidemiology in Armenia, as well as to the training of research and teaching personnel. In those years, the main efforts of the department were aimed at education of specialists who later worked in various areas of the healthcare system.

In 1939, Academician A.B.Aleksanyan founded the “Republican Scientific Society of Epidemiologists, Microbiologists, and Infectious Disease Specialists” of the Ministry of Health of Soviet Armenia, which made a significant contribution to the development of epidemiology in Armenia. Over the long years, Scientific Society was headed by the Professor A. B. Aleksanyan and Professor K. M. Deghdzunyun, and in 2000, it was renamed the “Armenian Association of Epidemiologists, Medical Microbiologists, and Parasitologists” headed by Professor A.Dz. Hambardzumyan. In 2026, the Association was renamed the “Armenian Association of Epidemiologists and Microbiologists” NGO chaired by Professor Mary Ter-Stepanyan.

Undergraduate Education

The training provided by the Program for students includes:

• The 4th-year students in the Faculty of General Medicine- Non-Communicable Diseases Epidemiology Course (for foreign and local students).
• The 5th-year students in the Faculty of General Medicine -General and Special Epidemiology Course (for foreign and local students).
• The 4th-year students in the Faculty of Dentistry-Epidemiology Course (for foreign and local students).
• The 4th-year students in the Faculty of Military Medicine – Non-Communicable Diseases Epidemiology Course (for foreign and local students).
• The 5th-year students in the Faculty of Military Medicine -General and Special Epidemiology Course (for foreign and local students).
• College students- 12 module courses (for local students).

The duration of the training course of Epidemiology for 1 week is 30 hours. The thematic material of the program is provided to students in the form of lectures, practical exercises and independent work.

In order to enhance the effectiveness of the educational process, didactic materials, video films, slide-based presentations, and case discussions are used.

Students’ independent work is organized by preparing and presenting reports and abstracts, as well as discussing situational problems used in practical classes.

To foster students’ interest in the subject, the department also organizes student conferences and intellectual team games (brain ring).

The course is summarized with practical work and an examination.

• Clinical residency in Epidemiology -1-year program.

• The 1st- and 2nd-year Master’s students of the Public Health Faculty-Courses of Non-Communicable Diseases Epidemiology and General, Special Epidemiology.

• Master’s program at the Faculty of Public Health with the qualification “Epidemiology” (1year program).
• PhD- 5 years.
• Continuous professional development (CPD) courses for physicians and mid-level medical professionals, lasting 1, 2, 4, and 6 weeks, on the following topics:
• “Principles of cleaning, disinfection, pre-sterilization and sterilization of medical devices, with training in sanitary rules and hygiene standards and guidelines” (for physicians);
• “Characteristics and prevention of healthcare-associated infections” (for physicians);
• “Modern matters of antimicrobial resistance, directions for surveillance and prevention” (for physicians).
• “Epidemiological characteristics and prevention of viral hepatitis B, C, and HIV/AIDS” (for physicians).
• “Current issues in entomology: the ecological and epidemiological significance of vectors and their prevention” (for physicians).
• “Epidemiological characteristics of COVID-19 infection and preventive directions” (for physicians).
• “Current issues, challenges, and organizational principles of immune-prophylaxis” (for physicians).
• “Parasitic diseases in clinical practice” (for physicians).
• “International Health Regulations, and the principles of biosafety and biosecurity” (for physicians).
• “Fundamental problems and challenges in modern epidemiology” (for physicians).
• “Modern approaches to the epidemiology of communicable and non-communicable diseases” (for physicians).
• “Implementation of cleaning, disinfection, pre-sterilization and sterilization of medical devices, with practical skills training” (for nurses).
• “BCG vaccination in practice” (for nurses).
• “Planning and implementation of the vaccination process, practical skills training: components of the National Immunization Program” (for nurses).
• “Current theoretical and practical issues in epidemiology” (for nurses).
• “Infection control implementation with practical training” (for nurses).

The main field of the department’s research activity is: «Epidemiological characteristics of communicable and non-communicable diseases in Armenia».

At the Department of Epidemiology, scientific research has been  carried out on the following topics:

• “The etiology, antimicrobial resistance, and epidemiological characteristics of healthcare-associated infections in medical institutions of Armenia.”
• “The etiology and epidemiological characteristics of early- and late-onset neonatal bacterial infections, as well as the predominant risk factors in maternity hospitals.”
• “Study of the prevalence of Group B streptococci among pregnant women in maternity hospitals and their antimicrobial resistance”.
• “The impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the measles elimination status in Armenia.”
• “Physicians’ knowledge, attitudes, and practices regarding the application of expanded SARI case definitions and the detection, laboratory investigations of RSV infection.”
• “The attitude of health care workers and teachers towards vaccination, and the identification of the causes of vaccine hesitancy.”
• “The effectiveness of the epidemiological surveillance system for Escherichiosis and the analysis of surveillance data in the Republic of Armenia, 2016–2023.”
• “The prevalence and epidemiological characteristics of HIV and opportunistic infections in Armenia.”
• “The prevalence of zoonotic infections by region and by time, identification of epidemiological characteristics and predominant transmission factors in Armenia in the One Health concept.”
• “The prevalence of non-communicable diseases in Armenia and the identification of risk factors according to population characteristics.”
• “The sensitivity of poliomyelitis epidemiological surveillance and immunization in Armenia, and the assessment of re-establishment risk”.
• “A study of the prevalence and epidemiological characteristics of brucellosis and tularemia in Armenia.”

The results of studies have been summarized in published scientific papers (including in impact factor (IF) journals) and oral presentations. Recommendations were provided to address the identified issues for improvements.

Master’s and PhD theses are also actively conducted at the department.

The department collaborates actively with a number of local and international educational, research institutions and organizations.

1. 1. Department of Microbiology of the West London University
   2. UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA).
   3. Research Institute of Microbiology and Epidemiology after N.F. Gamalea, Moscow.
   4. European society of clinical microbiology and infectious diseases |(ESCMID).
   5. Tbilisi State Medical University

Address: 0025, 2 Koryun Str.,Yerevan, Armenia

YSMU, Department of Epidemiology

Email: epidemiology2016@mail.ru