Dr. David A. Goukassian is a tenured professor in the field of Medicine/Cardiology at the Cardiovascular Research Institute of the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai. His recent studies revolve around the use of physiological, genomic, and epigenetic approaches to explore the molecular roots of the risks of cancer and cardiovascular disease induced by both space and terrestrial radiation. He is actively involved in creating mouse models for assessing ionizing radiation-triggered Excess Relative Risks (ERR), predicting biomarkers for ERR calculation, and devising countermeasures for NASA's prolonged lunar, asteroid, and Mars missions. His research contributes significantly to NASA's initiatives to estimate cancer and cardiovascular risk for astronauts, and also aids in preventing secondary cancer and cardiovascular diseases resulting from radiation in patients undergoing conventional and particle radiotherapy. His work has received substantial recognition from local, national, and global media outlets such as Nature Publishing Group, Lancet Oncology, The Scientist Journal, BBC World News, Reuters, ABC, NBC, US News and World Report, Forbes, and others.

Dr. Goukassian also participates in a wide array of intramural and extramural activities, including reviewing for many scientific journals in cardiovascular and cancer research, serving on national and international grant review committees, and participating in various institutional committees focused on faculty affairs, MD/PhD admissions, promotions, recognition of research excellence, and more. He has mentored many students at various levels, from undergraduate to postgraduate, as well as post-doctoral clinical and research fellows, medical residents, and visiting scientists from other countries.

Furthermore, he is the founder and inaugural co-president of the Armenian Scientific Diaspora Association (ASDA), whose objective is to consolidate the efforts of the Armenian scientific diaspora. The goal is to provide Armenia with coordinated support in research expertise, education, training, and scientific conferences, foster scientific collaborations and networking between Armenian diaspora scientists worldwide and those in Armenia, and act as a conduit between Armenia and the international scientific community.