Director
Prof. Iva Christova, M.D., D.Sci.
e-mail:
Professor, Doctor of Medical Sciences with 30 years of experience in the field of microbiology, virology, immunology. Prof Christova has extensive experience in clinical microbiology, epidemiology of vector-borne infections, development of molecular and serological diagnostic methods, introduction of genetic diagnostic methods, accreditation of laboratories, standardization of laboratory methods.
During her scientific career she has a total of 171 publications, of which 68 are refereed and 703 are cited.
Prof. Christova has participated in 11 projects, of which 4 European and 7 Bulgarian. From 2012 to June 2021 she was deputy director of NCIPD. During her career she has 9 specializations, of which 5 in the USA, 2 in Germany, one in the Netherlands and one in Romania. She has been awarded 8 prizes by national and international scientific organizations, incl. Morrison Rogosa Award of the American Society of Microbiology for Contribution to Medicine. Prof. Dr. Christova is Deputy.
Chairman of the Bulgarian Association of Microbiologists, member of the Union of Scientists in Bulgaria - Section "Microbiology", Bulgarian Medical Society of Microbiology, Bulgarian Mycological Society, Bulgarian Medical Union, European Society of Clinical Microbiology and Infectious Diseases (ESCMID)
Prof. Christova is Chairman of the Expert Council on Virology at the Ministry of Health.
Deputy Director
Assoc. Prof. Rumen Harizanov, MD, PhD
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Assoc. Prof. Rumen Harizanov, MD, PhD graduated in medicine in 1989 at the Medical University of Sofia. He worked for two years as a therapist in the village of Mirkovo, municipality Pirdop. In 1991, he started working at the National Centre of Infectious and Parasitic Diseases, as a physician. After competition, he successively passes through the academic positions of assistant to assistant professor. Acquired the medical specialty "Medical Parasitology" in 2000. Defended a PhD thesis on the topic "Natural focality, epidemiological, clinical-diagnostic and therapeutical aspects of visceral leishmaniasis in Bulgaria", in 2012.
Since 2015, he has been an Associate Professor - Head of the Outpatient’s consulting office at the Department of "Parasitology and Tropical Medicine", and subsequently head of the Department of "Parasitology and Tropical Medicine".
During his scientific career he has over a hundred publications in Bulgarian and international scientific journals and more than 140 participations in scientific forums in the country and abroad. Assoc. Prof. Rumen Harizanov has participated in eight scientific projects financed by Bulgarian and international sources.