SOAR - Pisa Chapter
Pisa became part of the SOAR family in March 2014. There are approximately 3,000 Armenians living in Italy, primarily in Milan, Rome, Pisa, and Venice. Besides the general population, there are monastic communities on the island of San Lazzaro (Venice), at the Moorat-Raphael College of Venice, and Armenian clergy at the Holy See (Vatican). The first Armenian communities in Italy were formed in the 12th century when active trade was encouraged between Cilicia and Genoa, and Venice. Pisa is a growing Armenian community today. Under King Levon II, treaties allowed Italian merchants to open factories and to develop industrial activities in Cilicia. In the 15th century the process of catholicizing Armenians was strengthened in Italy, greatly contributing to their assimilation with the Italian people. In 2000, the Armenian Genocide was recognized by the Italian Parliament, and a memorial dedicated to the Genocide victims was inaugurated in the center of Rome. Besides the San Lazzaro, Italy has a number of very important Armenian churches and religious establishments: St. Gregory’s Armenian Church (Rome); Holy Cross Armenian Church (on Calle Degli); St. Blaise Armenian Catholic Church (Rome); San Nicola de Tolentino Armenian Catholic Church (Rome); and the Armenian Apostolic Church of the Forty Martyrs (Milano).
BOARD OF DIRECTORS:
Gayane Aghakhanyan, MD
President
Dr. Gayane Aghakhanyan is an Assistant Professor of Nuclear Medicine at the University of Pisa, where she works within the Department of Translational Research and New Technologies in Medicine and Surgery. A physician–scientist with a strong background in neuroimaging and nuclear medicine, her expertise spans molecular imaging, radiomics, PET/PET-CT/PET-MRI, multiparametric brain MRI, and AI-driven image analysis.
Her scientific activities focus on the development of advanced imaging biomarkers for oncological and neurological diseases. She leads and contributes to national and international-funded programs, including the HEAL ITALIA on imaging biomarkers in cirrhosis and hepatocellular carcinoma and the Tuscany Health Ecosystem on FAPI-PET applications in gliomas. She is also an active contributor to Navigator, Italy’s regional imaging biobank initiative for precision oncology. She is an active investigator in European initiatives such as EUCAIM, working on multicenter data harmonization, AI-based diagnostics, and translational imaging innovation.
Dr. Aghakhanyan has trained at internationally recognized centers, including the University Hospital Leipzig (Germany) and IRCCS San Raffaele (Milan, Italy), and has authored numerous publications in international journals in nuclear medicine, neuroimaging, oncology, and AI. She also serves as reviewer and contributor to editorial activities in her field.
Committed to community service, Dr. Aghakhanyan has been part of the SOAR Pisa Chapter since 2014, first as Secretary and now as Chapter President. Through SOAR, she supports vulnerable children and families in Armenia by combining medical expertise, scientific outreach, and humanitarian engagement. She remains dedicated to advancing precision imaging, promoting education, and strengthening the Armenian community in Italy and abroad.