Research Activities
Page Content
Since the establishment
of the Department of Pediatrics in 1963, its members have been working
systematically in all the branches of Pediatric Science and later on with the joining
of the direction in Genetics in 2000 – in the field of Clinical Genetics, as
well.
Gradually, the following
fields have been developed as major trends in the research activities of the team:
• Epidemiology of Diabetes Mellitus;
• Growth and Development;
• Rare Diseases;
• Obesity;
• Genetic Syndromes and Diseases;
• Congenital Anemia;
• Coagulopathies;
• Diseases of the Urinary System.
Research into new
directions has been developing vehemently:
• Intensive Pediatrics;
• Clinical Nutrition;
• Preventive Pediatrics;
• Applied Research Projects.
Over the last five years
five projects, involving the participation of the Department, have been won. Annually the members of the
Department participate in new large-scale project proposals with a real chance
of funding. Besides the European basis, research contacts and projects with
teams from the USA and Israel have been developed actively.
Representatives of the Department
and young researchers have won international awards, scholarships for
scientific excellence and highly competitive places in international events, as
well as research projects, funded by international sources (ESPE Research
Grant, DiaMond and EURODIAB).
The overall publication
activity of the Department members amounts to more than 50 academic papers per
annum, including publications in international journals with IF (New Engl J
Med, Cancer Genet, Eur J Hum Genetics, Pediatr Diabetes, Obesity Reviews, Int J
Obesity Child, Arch Dis Child, Curr Opin Clin Nutr Metab Care, BMJ, Pediatric
Emergency Care, BMC Public Health, etc.). Annually they participate in a variety of pediatric and
according to the narrow profile scientific events in the country, as well as in
plenty of prestigious scientific conferences abroad, by means of published abstracts
in renowned journals. Over the past 10 years 5 full-time and free PhD students have
been trained and they have defended successfully scientific and educational
degree at the Department, including doctoral students in the exchange programme
"Erasmus" from Europe. Currently one full-time and 5 free PhD
students have been trained.
A token of research
excellence is the number of habilitated persons - one professor with an
academic degree "Doctor of Science" and 6 Associate Professors. The
members of the Department are being invited as lecturers in the USA, Kenya,
Italy, Slovenia, Romania, Greece, Macedonia.