Natalya Melik Melikyan

Natalya Melik Melikyan (Armenian: Նատալյա Մելիքի Մելիքյան) (May 19, 1906, Housein (Houseinqend) Village, Russian Empire – July 25, 1989, Yerevan, Armenia), Armenian scientist, Doctor of Biological Sciences, Professor, Honored Scientist.

Dr. Prof. Natalya Melikyan
Dr. Proff. Natalya Melikyan
Professor Melikyan during research process

Biography

Natalya Melikyan (Ter-Meliksetyan) was born on May 19, 1906, in Huseyni (Huseinkend) Armenian populated big village of Evjilar community, Surmalinsky Uyezd, Erivan Governorate of Russian Empire. Her father was Melik Ter-Meliksetyan and her mother was Mariam Mkrtchian. Melikyan studied at Iğdır primary school for two years. In 1918, surviving Genocide of Armenians, Melikyan family found a refuge in Yerevan.

In 1926 she graduated from the Yerevan Secondary School N2 after Al. Myasnikyan, Yerevan and for two years worked as a teacher in Hrazdan region.

In 1928–1931 Melikyan studied at the Department of Biology, in Pedagogical Faculty of Yerevan State University. Having graduated from the University, she was accepted to a PhD program at Plant Anatomy and Physiology Department and conducted her research at Plant Phisiology Department, Biology Faculty, Moscow State University, under the supervision of Professor Dmitriy Sabinin in 1933.

In 1931 N. Melikyan got married to Barsegh Grigor Muradian and gave birth to 2 children: Viul (1932) and Nelli (1942).

In 1934, returning to Yerevan, she started working in newly established Plant Anatomy and Physiology Department, Biology Faculty, Yerevan State University, as a teaching assistant, afterwards as a head of laboratory. In 1939 under Professor S.D. Lvov’s supervision, chair of Plant Physiology department at Leningrad University, she defended her Kandidatskaya dissertation with the major of “Survey on the linseed oil in Armenia” and in 1940 she received the title of associate professor. During those years in collaboration with biologist Alexander Araratyan, she was involved in study of oil producing wild plants, aiming to put them in mass production. However, Second World War interrupted the implementation of all the projects. In 1942 N. Melikyan’s husband died (Kerch, May 1942).

Collaborating with Professor Mikhail Chailakhyan, who arrived from Moscow (he had been maintaining close ties with the department for almost 50 years), Melikyan launched study on accumulation of lignin in plant stalks and its anatomic features. The outcomes of the study were summed up in her monography “Structural changes in plants and lignin accumulation dynamics, depending on environmental conditions”, published in 1959. The monography proved to have great theoretical and practical significance. Later, in 1964, based on the above- mentioned research, Melikyan defended her doctoral dissertation and in 1966 was awarded the academic title of professor.

In 1962–1977 N. Melikyan headed the Department of Plant Anatomy and Physiology, Yerevan State University, and later 1977–1985 she was professor and counselor at the same department. In 1962–1982 she was the head of “Anatomical, physiological and biochemical characteristics of tuber-forming plants” scientific problem, conducted by the department. Based on the above-mentioned studies as well as on number of other researches, several masters’ dissertations were defended in the department.

Along with academic activities, she actively participated in public life. N. Melikyan was awarded with "Order of the Badge of Honour" (1953) and received a number of medals and diplomas from the Government. She also was awarded the title of Honored Scientist of Armenian Soviet Socialist Republic (1967).

In 1989, Melikyan died at the age of 83 in Yerevan.

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