Prof. Dr. Christina Grupcheva, DSc, FEBO, FICO, FBCLA, FIACLE, is one of the three new corresponding members in the field of medical sciences, elected on 2 November 2021 by the Assembly of Academicians of the Bulgarian Academy of Sciences.
Prof. Grupcheva is a world-renowned scientist, an ophthalmic surgeon and a lecturer whose numerous scientific and professional achievements represent the Bulgarian Ophthalmology with dignity and serve the nation. Her credo is to take care of the vision as a physician and to train staff at various levels to provide preventive and therapeutic activities in order to protect the eye health. Prof. Grupcheva is an ideologist of the 3O perspective in Bulgaria, which apart from quality vision care provided by medical opticians, optometrists and ophthalmologists also solves serious personnel issues in this specific field of healthcare. Her special professional priorities lie in the field of ocular surface, and she has introduced and continues developing a variety of methods for transplantation of procured and processed amniotic membrane. She is a world leader in managing one of the greatest problems of modern humanity – the so-called "dry eye", and she is an active member of the working group on global standardisation of diagnosis and treatment of the disease.
Besides being a talented surgeon and a respected lecturer, Professor Grupcheva is an active participant in numerous charitable initiatives for the benefit of the society and a favourite interlocutor of young people.
Throughout the evaluation period Prof. Grupcheva has more than 300 publications related to Ophthalmology, 160 of which – in peer-reviewed scientific journals, five monographs, eight textbooks and teaching aids, as well as numerous electronic and internet sources. The total number of citations of her publication output is 2187, her h–index is 29, and the total impact factor is 120.
Recognition for her substantial scientific and societal contribution are the scores of high distinctions and awards, including Open Society Prize for Civil Contribution to Medicine and Health (2019), Award of the Bulgarian Ophthalmic Society in recognition of her exceptional contribution to Ophthalmology (2018), the honorary prize Medical Doctor of the Year 2013 – awarded by the Bulgarian Medical Union, etc.
Prof. Grupcheva is a former president of the European Board of Ophthalmology, at present she is Vice Rector for Science and Research at Medical University – Varna, and CEO of the Specialised Hospital for Active Treatment in Ophthalmology – Varna.
