The NextGen team. Photos courtesy of the Armenian Bone Marrow Donor Registry

LOS ANGELES— NextGen, a subsidiary of the Armenian Bone Marrow Donor Registry, was recently launched in Los Angeles to encourage youth participation in the activities and mission of the organization.

The establishment of NextGen was initiated by Eric Markarian, a Stanford student who has been a longtime ABMDR volunteer. Now also serving on the ABMDR Board of Advisors, Markarian said NextGen aims to support the life-saving mission and pan-Armenian vision of the organization by increasing youth engagement in its work and establishing ABMDR groups on college and high-school campuses. “We see NextGen building a wide network and holding significant influence, and utilizing them to increase youth participation in the mission of ABMDR at various academic institutions across the United States,” Markarian said.

NextGen team members including Eric Markarian (center) sitting next to his mother, Dr. Ramella Markarian, a longtime ABMDR supporter and a member of the organization’s Board of Directors. Photos courtesy of the Armenian Bone Marrow Donor Registry

“I commend Eric and his young colleagues for their vision and spirit of activism,” said Dr. Frieda Jordan, president of ABMDR. “I have no doubt that, as the next generation of ABMDR, members of NextGen will promote a high level of youth involvement in our work and support its mission, which is to save lives by recruiting and providing matched unrelated donors for bone marrow or stem cell transplantation to all Armenian and non-Armenian patients worldwide.” 

NextGen team members with ABMDR president Dr. Frieda Jordan. Photos courtesy of the Armenian Bone Marrow Donor Registry

Markarian added that Next-Gen will also collaborate with the ABMDR Board, researchers, and physicians to initiate academic-research projects and publications in various medical fields.

Established in 1999, ABMDR, a nonprofit organization, helps Armenians and non-Armenians worldwide survive life-threatening blood-related illnesses by recruiting and matching donors to those requiring bone marrow stem cell transplants. To date, the registry has recruited over 33,500 donors in 44 countries across four continents, identified over 9,000 patients, and facilitated 39 bone marrow transplants. For more information, call (323) 663-3609 or visit the website.