Three Bulgarian scientists are the winners of the 2024 National Awards For Women in Science. The winners – Daniela Atanasova, Dimitriya Mihaylova and Maria Levkova – were announced at an award ceremony of the 14th edition of the For Women in Science National Programme at the St Kliment Ohridski University of Sofia on Wednesday.
The programme is implemented by the Bulgarian National Commission for UNESCO, L’Oreal Bulgaria and Sofia University. The L’Oreal-UNESCO For Women in Science International Awards were established in 1998.
The chairman of the jury, Prof Tony Spassov, stressed that all 37 participants in the competition were worthy of an award and that, as in previous editions, it was not easy to distinguish the best. The three winners get endowments of EUR 5,000 each.
Daniela Atanasova, Chief Assistant Professor at the Department of Textile, Leather and Fuels of the University of Chemical Technology and Metallurgy, won the award for a project for the preparation of composite materials from cotton fabric modified with biopolymers for pharmaceutical and cosmetic applications.
Dimitriya Mihaylova, Chief Assistant Professor at the Department of Communication Networks, Faculty of Telecommunications, of the Technical University – Sofia, won the award for a project for security against attacks integrating Machine Learning and Artificial Intelligence in next-generation wireless systems.
Assoc. Prof. Maria Levkova from the Department of Medical Genetics at the Medical University – Varna won the award for a project for mutational profiling of colorectal cancer by third generation RNA sequencing.
Vice President Iliana Iotova addressed participants and guests, saying: “This ceremony shows how beauty, tenderness, love, talent, knowledge, strength and courage meet in science.” She thanked the families and relatives of the women scientists, their teachers and directors of studies for their support.
This is the eighth time Iotova has been an official guest at the event. She highlighted a common trait of the For Women in Science Award winners so far: “These ladies are extremely modest and do not think they are exceptional.”
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