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Dr. Sergey Vardan Malayan was born on January 4, 1923, in Tbilisi. After moving to Yerevan in 1953, he remained there for the rest of his life, becoming one of Armenia’s most respected pioneers in ophthalmology.

At the young age of 14, following the death of his father, Dr. Malayan took full responsibility for his family. He began working to support them, all while nurturing a deep interest in engineering and design.

While still a student, he designed and hand-crafted medical instruments, drawing inspiration from his uncle, the renowned professor Artashes Malaev. With his uncle’s guidance and support, Sergey was accepted into Tbilisi Medical University, shifting from his original dream of becoming an engineer to a path that would define modern Armenian ophthalmology.

Even today, the museum at Yerevan State Medical University proudly preserves diagnostic models and tools developed by Malayan based on his uncle’s designs — pieces that remain scientifically relevant decades later.

After graduating, Malayan chose ophthalmology as his life’s work. In 1953, he moved to Yerevan and enrolled in the clinical residency program at the Eye Diseases Department of Yerevan State Medical University. He earned his PhD in 1958, marking the beginning of a long and impactful career.