Oganesian, Leon

Born Feb 13 (25), 1885, in Tbilisi; died May 11, 1970, in Yerevan. Soviet internist. Academician of the Academy of Medical Sciences of the USSR (1944) and of the Academy of Sciences of the Armenian SSR (1943). Honored Scientific Worker of the Armenian SSR (1940). Member of the CPSU from 1947.

In 1909, Oganesian graduated from the medical faculty of Kharkov University. From 1923 to 1967 he headed the sub-department of propaedeutic therapy of the Yerevan Medical Institute and, at the same time, the section of the history of Armenian medicine and biology (1944–53), the section of medicine (1953–55), and the section of cardiology (1955–60) of the Academy of Sciences of the Armenian SSR. Oganesian was the founder and director (1960–61) of the Institute of Cardiology of the Ministry of Public Health of the Armenian SSR. In 1972 the institute was named in honor of Oganesian.

Oganesian’s principal works dealt with cardiology, balneology and health resort science, malariology, and the history of medicine. He was an honorary member of the All-Union Scientific Society of Internists, as well as chairman of the Armenian Scientific Society of Internists and a member of the International Academy of Medical History (1962). Oganesian received two orders of the Red Banner of Labor and a number of medals.