The Promise Armenian Institute at UCLA will work with the Republic of Armenia’s Ministry of Health to share resources and best practices from UCLA, and to coordinate activities in the fight against COVID-19, Dr. Eric Esrailian, chief of UCLA Vatche & Tamar Manoukian Division of Digestive Diseases said in a Q&A with UCLA Newsroom on the anniversary of establishment of the Robert G. Kardashian Center for Esophageal Health at UCLA.
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Based in the UCLA Vatche and Tamar Manoukian Division of Digestive Diseases, the center specializes in holistic treatment, research and education related to disorders of the esophagus. The center is named in memory of Robert G. Kardashian, a prominent Los Angeles attorney who died of esophageal cancer in 2003.
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The center was started by Dr. Eric Esrailian, a long-time friend of the Kardashian family.
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The Kardashian siblings are remembering their late father Robert Kardashian Sr. during April’s Esophageal Cancer Awareness Month.
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The family issued a statement saying: “More than ever we are thinking about the medical staff on the front lines during this pandemic and thankful for everyone who risks their lives each day for others.”
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“This month is also an important time for us as we remember our father and shine a light on Esophageal Cancer Awareness Month,” they continued. “We’d like to thank the dedicated staff of skilled doctors and nurses that work at the UCLA Robert G. Kardashian Center for Esophageal Health.”

Speaking of a photo with Kim and Kourtney Kardashian, Dr. Esrailian said “the photo, done in support of UCLA, was taken during the family trip to Armenia in October 2019. Kim Kardashian West and I were invited to speak at the World Congress on Information Technology in Yerevan, and I introduced Kim and Kourtney to Armenian President Armen Sarkissian. We also met with Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan, and we discussed charitable projects in Armenia and the Armenian Diaspora.”
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“We also discussed the November launch of The Promise Armenian Institute at UCLA — the central hub for all Armenian-related education, research and outreach on campus. The Kardashian family has been very supportive of this new institute, efforts toward Armenian Genocide awareness and the use of our film “The Promise” as a teaching tool for the general public and legislators,” he added.
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“These coordinated activities, combined with the work of human rights advocates for many years, ultimately led to Armenian Genocide recognition by both chambers of the United States Congress for the first time in history. One of the first healthcare initiatives for  The Promise Armenian Institute at UCLA is to work with the Republic of Armenia’s Ministry of Health to share resources and best practices from UCLA, and to coordinate activities in the fight against COVID-19.”
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H/T Public Radio of Armenia