Armen Parajian

Dr. Armen Parajian is a distinguished thoracic surgeon based at Lakeridge Health in Ontario, Canada, with a focus on surgical oncology, particularly in treating lung and esophageal cancers. Born in Toronto to Armenian and Indian immigrants, Dr. Parajian was raised in a multicultural environment, speaking English, French, and Armenian fluently, and spending summers in France. His early interest in science and art led him to initially pursue a Bachelor of Arts in architecture at the University of Toronto, a path inspired by his desire to blend creativity and scientific precision. However, after realizing the limitations of architecture as a field for this blend, he shifted his focus to medicine, spurred by a guest lecture from a pediatric cardiac surgeon at the Hospital for Sick Children in Toronto.

Dr. Parajian earned his Doctor of Medicine from the Schulich School of Medicine at the University of Western Ontario, followed by a residency in general surgery and a fellowship in thoracic surgery at the University of Toronto. His surgical expertise includes minimally invasive techniques such as endobronchial ultrasound (EBUS) and video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery (VATS), for which he was trained by Dr. Kazuhiro Yasufuku, a leading expert in EBUS. Dr. Parajian values the humanistic approach in surgical oncology, a philosophy that has earned him recognition for outstanding patient care.

A Fellow of the Royal College of Surgeons of Canada and a member of the Canadian Association of Thoracic Surgery's Best Practice Committee, Dr. Parajian is committed to excellence in patient care and education. He has been honored with awards like the F. Griffith Pearson Award for Best Resident/Fellow Teacher at the University of Toronto, reflecting his dedication to teaching and mentoring in the medical community.

Beyond his professional endeavors, Dr. Parajian enjoys mindfulness, travel, wine tasting, and golf. He and his wife, whom he met in 2004 and married in 2014, share a love for travel, celebrating their anniversaries in famous wine-producing regions. They welcomed their first child in 2020, marking a new chapter in their lives. Dr. Parajian's journey from architecture to medicine epitomizes a blend of art, science, and compassionate patient care, making him a respected figure in the medical community and a source of inspiration for aspiring surgeons.