[1][5] Van formally trained as a doctor at Yerevan State Medical University, and she also holds a master's degree in psychology.
[6] In 2006, she founded the literary journal Narcissus with the poet and playwright Vahan Vardanyan [hy], and she has served as editor in chief of the publication since 2013.
[1][4][7] Libretto for the Desert, a poetry collection that deals specifically with the genocide, is her best-known work, and it has been translated into 23 languages.
[5][8][9] Her work was also included in the 2017 anthology of 25 contemporary Armenian poets Armenia’s Heart: Poems … and Nothing More.
In 2019, she received the International Maria Konopnicka Prize alongside Beata Poźniak, an actress who has produced recordings of Van's work.