Department of Medical Biology - Medical University of Plovdiv

Academic Staff, Department of Medical Biology, MU-Plovdiv

Contacts

Departmental website
e-mail : [email protected]
e-mail 2: [email protected]

Education

Annotation

The discipline Human Biology allows students to acquire knowledge and skills in the following basic biological concepts:

•Molecular foundations of life – biological macromolecules
•Realization of genetic information
•Genetic code
•Organization of the genetic material in the cell
•Karyotype
•Heredity and variability
•Human hereditary diseases
•Genetic engineering
•Biology of the cell
•Reproduction
•Individual development
•Immunological homeostasis
•Population genetics
•Theory of evolution
•Molecular evolution
•Interactions between organisms in biocenosis
•Human interactions with nature environment

Course objectives

The objective of the Human Biology course is to develop:

1. The understanding that living systems, including humans, have hierarchically ordered levels of organization with their own specificity and rules that determine biological features and functions.

2. The notion that humans, as a product of biological evolution, are ecologically connected to the development of nature and of the biosphere as a whole.

3. The ability to apply biological rules as scientific theory and methodology of medicine.

4. Practical skills and knowledge of basic biological techniques with medical application.

Course tasks

Proficiency in the most important properties and manifestations of the organismal world and humans in particular:

molecular and cellular basis of life;

heredity and variability;

reproduction and individual development of organisms;

immunological homeostasis;

biology and genetics of populations;

morphology and biological cycle of medically important parasites.

Obligatory competencies

1.Theoretical knowledge – mastering and analysis of:

•hierarchical levels and structural organization of the human organism (molecular, cellular and systemic)
•genetic structures and processes of transfer of genetic and epigenetic information
•mechanisms of immunological homeostasis
•ontogenesis and phylogenesis

2. Practical skills:

•preparation of temporary and permanent microscopic slides
•light microscopy
•karyotyping
•genetic cases
•basic immunological reactions
•blood typing
•basic molecular biology methods
•basic cellular biology methods
•fingerprinting and dermatoglyphics
•populational variation analysis

Elective course „Biology of Parasites“ – winter term; 15 hours; 1 credit

Example tests: Y. Feodorova, M. Kazakova, V. Alexandrov, N. Mehterov. V. Sarafian. Editor V. Sarafian. Tests in Medical Biology, ISBN 978-619-7085-88-4, Plovdiv, 2017

Academic Staff

Prof. Victoria Sarafian, MD, PhD, DMSc – Head of Department

Phone: 032 200 670

e-mail: [email protected]
e-mail: [email protected]

Associate Professor Marian Draganov, PhD

Phone: 032 200 672

e-mail: [email protected]

Associate Professor Maria Kazakova, PhD

Phone:032 200 677

e-mail: [email protected]

Professor Denitsa Docheva, PhD -Guest Professor

Department of Musculoskeletal Tissue Regeneration
Orthopaedic Hospital König-Ludwig-Haus
& University of Wuerzburg, Germany

e-mail: [email protected]

Chief Assistant Professor Milena Draganova, PhD

Phone: 032 200 676

e-mail: [email protected]

Chief Assistant Professor Yana Feodorova, PhD

Phone: 032 200 672

e-mail: [email protected]

Chief Assistant Professor Nikolai Mehterov, PhD

Phone: 032 200 675

e-mail: [email protected]

Chief Assistant Professor Yordan Sbikov, PhD

Phone: 032 200 673

e-mail: [email protected]

Chief Assistant Professor Maria Gevezova, PhD

Phone: 032 200 675

e-mail: [email protected]

Assistant Professor Tsvetomira Ivanova, PhD

Phone: 032 200 676
e-mail:[email protected]

Assistant Professor Eleonora Kovacheva

Phone: 032 200 675
e-mail: [email protected]

Diana Molander, MD – PhD student

Тел:032 200 673
e-mail:[email protected]

Bozhidar Vergov, MD – PhD student

Тел: 032 200 675
e-mail: [email protected]

Vasil Dzharov – Biologist, researcher at RIMU

Тел: 032 200 673
e-mail: [email protected]

Technical staff

Valentin Dichev, PhD – Biologist

Тел: 032 200671
e-mail: [email protected]

Tatyana Todorova, MSc – Biologist

Phone: 032 200 671

e-mail: [email protected]

Tatyana Damyanova, MSc – Biologist

Phone: 032 200 671

e-mail: [email protected]

Valentina Mihaylova, MSc – Chemist

Phone: 032 200 671

e-mail: [email protected]

Elitsa Tanova, MSc – Chemist

Phone: 032 200 671

e-mail: [email protected]

Kalinka Nikolova – Technical Assistance

Phone: 032 200 672

e-mail: [email protected]
e-mail: [email protected]

Pavlina Slavova – Sanitary staff

Тел: 032 200 674
e-mail: [email protected]

Nedka Lambreva – Sanitary staff

Тел: 032 200 674
e-mail: [email protected]

Ilka Miteva – Sanitary staff

Тел: 032 200 674
e-mail: [email protected]

Research

The present research topics in the Department of Medical Biology are connected with:

• Investigation of the cellular mechanisms of proliferation and apoptosis.

• Expression of different antigens (blood group, lysosomals and galectins) in tumor cell lines and in human tumors.

• Effects of natural and synthetic substances on the induction of immune response and cytokine secretion in vitro.

• Effects of biological and synthetic preparations on cell cultures in vitro.

• New disease biomarkers in tumorogenesis.

• Expression profiles i human diseases personalized molecular medicine.

There are three research laboratories in the Department of Medical Biology equipped for experimental and diagnostic work in the field of cell and molecular biology and fundamental and clinical immunology.

The Cell Biology laboratory provides oppоrtunity for cell and tissue cultivation and in vitro examination of the effect of different substances on lymphocyte cultures and cell lines. Laminar box, CO2-incubator, inverted microscope, digital microscope techнology are the basic technical equipment of this laboratory.

The Immunology Laboratory is specialized in immunoenzyme and immunocyto- and histochemistry analysises. There are: ELISA-reader, cryo and paraffin microtome, refrigerating centrifuges, immunoblot and immuno electrophoresis apparatus, fluorescent microscope.

Laboratory of Molecular Biology and Genetics has new equipment: Real-time PCR suitable for diagnostics, Two conventional PCR blocks, Cold and regular centrifuge, Ependorf tube heat incubator, Vortex, Nano-drop spectrophotometer, UV/ visible gel detection systems, Ice machines, Ultra-pure water system, DNA, RNA and protein gel electrophoresis systems, Protein blotting system, Laminar hood, -80 and -20 freezers.

The department took part in a number of projects within the TEMPUS program. We have collaborators from Bulgaria, Belgium, Italy,Germany. For the last 10 years 31 scientific projects, 9 of them international were fulfilled. There is a closele colaboration with scientists from the Institude of Molecular Biology, BAS, Sofia; University of Sofia ‚Kliment Ochridsky‘; Universuty of Plovdiv ‚Paissii Hilendarsky‘; ‚ThracianUniversity‘ – Stara Zagora; Medical University-Sofia; National Centre of infectious and Parasitic Diseases – Sofia. International collaboration is set with researchers from University Campus BioMedico, Rome, Italy; N. Copernicus University, Poland; University of Namur, Belgium; University of Munich, Germany; Swiss Federal Institute of Technology (ETH) Zurich, Switzerland; University of Groningen, The Netherlands; Max- Planck Institute, Potsdam, Germany.

Textbooks

Bios instant notes. Molecular Biology by A. McLennan, A. Bates, P. Turner, M. White. 2013, 4th edition, Garland Science, Taylor & Francis Group.
Bios instant notes. Immunology by P. Lydyard, A. Whelan, M. Fanger. 2003, 3rd edition, Garland Science, Taylor & Francis Group.
Basic Immunology: Functions and Disorders of the Immune System by A. K. Abbas, A.H. Lichtman, Shiv Pillai. 2012, 4th edition, Elsevier.
Human Biology by C. Starr and B. McMillan B. 2014, 10th edition, BOOKS/COLE.
Paniker’s Textbook of Medical Parasitology by C. K. Jayaram Paniker. 2013; 7th edition.
V. Sarafian, M. Kazakova, M. Draganova, N. Mehterov. Practical book Medical Biology for students in Medicine and Dental medicine, 3-rd edition, Plovdiv, 2020
V. Alexandrov, Y. Feodorova, M. Filipova, M. Kazakova, N. Mehterov, V. Sarafian. Parasitology Manual for first year students in Medicine and Dental medicine, Plovdiv, 2020.
M. Kazakova, M. Draganova-Filipova, V. Alexandrov, V. Sarafian. Parasitology microscopic Practical Course for first year students in medicine and dental medicine. Edited by Prof. V. Sarafian, MD, PhD, DMedSci, – electronic version – CD, Plovdiv, 2015.
Y. Feodorova, M. Kazakova, V. Alexandrov, N. Mehterov, V. Sarafian. Editor: V. Sarafian. Tests in medical biology. Plovdiv, 2017.

Publications

The researchers from the Department of Medical Biology have published more than 600 papers and participated in hundreds of Bulgarian and international scientific confernces.

For the last 10 years more than 150 scientificarticles were published, 37 of them are international publications with impact factor.

130 scientific presentations are delivered at national and international forums. The scientific publications are cited over 350 times by foreign scientists. The teachers from the Department are authors of many academic textbook and manuals.