Prof. Ventzislava Pencheva, MD
ADMINISTRATION
Prof. Ventzislava Pencheva, MD
Vice Rector for International Integration and Project Funding
Education:
Prof. Pencheva graduated from the Faculty of Medicine at the Medical University of Sofia in 2001. In 2008, she obtained a specialty in “Internal Medicine,” followed by a specialty in “Pneumology and Phthisiology” in 2012. Since 2014, she holds a PhD in “Pulmonary Diseases,” and in 2017, she earned a Master’s degree in “Healthcare Management.”
Professional Experience:
From 2006 to 2023, Prof. Pencheva advanced through several roles at the Pulmonary Department of the Clinic of Propaedeutics of Internal Medicine (CPIM) at University Hospital “Alexandrovska,” Faculty of Medicine, Medical University of Sofia. She began as a resident physician and subsequently held positions as assistant, senior assistant, and associate professor. In 2023, she was appointed Professor. Since 2015, she has served as the Clinic’s Chief Administrative Physician, a role she continues to fulfill. She was also in charge of the educational activities in the department from 2015 to 2020. In November 2020, she was elected Head of the Department of Propaedeutics of Internal Medicine. From January to October 2022, she was the Deputy Director for Medical Activities at “Alexandrovska” University Hospital, and since then, she has been Head of the Pulmonary Department at CPIM.
Scientific Work:
Prof. Pencheva has over 100 scientific publications in medical journals, most of which have an impact factor or are indexed and referenced. She has contributed to two monographs, two textbooks, and four guidelines. She has participated in numerous national and international congresses, with over 200 citations in international databases. Prof. Pencheva has been involved in 11 scientific projects, serving as the lead researcher in two of them. She has supervised six PhD candidates, three of whom have successfully defended their doctoral theses.
Other Activities:
She is a member of the Bulgarian Medical Association (BLS), the Bulgarian Respiratory Society (BRS), and the European Respiratory Society (ERS). Prof. Pencheva serves on the Board of Directors of BRS, has been an external expert at the National Center for Public Health and Analyses (NCPHA) since 2016, and is the Chief Coordinator of the Expert Council on “Pneumology and Phthisiology” for 2023-2024. She is also a member of the Academic Council at the Medical University of Sofia, Editor-in-Chief of the journal “Thoracic Medicine,” and serves on the editorial boards of “General Medicine” and “Pulmonology Science” journals.
Prof. Pencheva-Genova is fluent in English and has working knowledge of Russian.
