Lucy Harutyunyan, Hematologist, R1 Researcher at Yeolyan Hematology and Oncology Center, Ministry of Health of Armenia, and Adjunct Researcher at Immune Oncology Research Institute, shared a post on LinkedIn:
“Who has influenced my career in mental health and how?
LinkedIn suggested this topic, and I smiled at the coincidence. Most of you know me as a hematologist, but in 2017-2018, I was also attending a psychiatric hub (now the clinic is closed; this photo remains). It was an experience that left a lasting mark on both my professional path and personal growth.
At that time, I was still shaping my own personality and clinical vision. I was also processing my own experience of loss, which made me more attentive to the invisible struggles many people carry. Being so closely involved in psychiatry showed me how mental health is not separate from medicine, but deeply interconnected with every patient’s journey, including those with cancer.
Today, as a hematologist and clinical researcher, I see daily how psychological well-being influences treatment adherence, outcomes, and quality of life in oncology. This early psychiatric experience continues to remind me that behind every diagnosis there is a person with fears, resilience, and unique coping strategies.
This is why I feel strongly about the importance of psycho-oncology, which bridges mental health and cancer care. I would be very glad to collaborate with researchers and clinicians who share this vision, and to contribute my clinical hematology/oncology background to projects exploring the psychological aspects of cancer.
If you are working on psycho-oncology research, or know of ongoing projects where my perspective could add value, I would love to connect.”
More posts featuring Lucy Harutyunyan.