The Department of Medical Genetics at the Medical University of Varna was established in December 2015 as the only department of its kind outside the capital city, under the leadership of Associate Professor Dr. Lyudmila Angelova, PhD.
The first instructors in Medical Genetics at the Medical University of Varna (then VMI Varna) came from the Department of Biology. Its founder and head (1962–1971) was Professor Dr. Maria Tsoneva, who later became the founder and head of the first Department of Medical Genetics in Bulgaria at VMI Sofia (1971–1989). She also authored the first Bulgarian textbook on medical genetics, Fundamentals of Medical Genetics (1977, 1989). Under her scientific supervision in Varna, four doctoral dissertations were defended, and four researchers were habilitated: Dr. L. Vassileva, Dr. E. Boshnakova, biologist D. Kovachev, and Dr. G. Karev.
Dr. E. Boshnakova was appointed in 1962, defended her doctoral dissertation in 1971, and was habilitated as an Associate Professor in 1973. Dr. L. Vassileva was appointed in 1968, defended her dissertation in 1970, and was habilitated as Senior Research Associate, Second Degree, in 1976. She subsequently led the Medical Genetics sector in the Central Research Laboratory (1982–1985), the Medical Genetics Consultation Center (1985–2000), and the Medical Genetics Unit within the Department of Pediatrics and Medical Genetics (2000–2005).
New assistant professors who joined during this period included Dr. G. Karev (1969), Dr. St. Koutsarova (1972), Dr. D. Konstantinova (1982), and between 1987–1994, Dr. V. Yakimova.
In 2003, Associate Professor Dr. Lyudmila Angelova joined the Medical Genetics Unit within the Department of Pediatrics and Medical Genetics, becoming its Head in 2005. Between 2004 and 2014, Dr. V. Gadancheva served as an assistant and later as a senior assistant. Dr. M. Stoyanova joined in 2009, Dr. M. Hachmeriyan in 2012, and Dr. T. Chervenkov in 2013. In September 2016 Associate Professor Dr. Trifon Chervenkov was habilitated in “Clinical Immunology". Additionally, the department has welcomed several new members: Dr. V. Miteva (2016), Dr. M. Levkova (2017), Dr. D. Yahya (2019), Dr. B. Shtereva (2019), Dr. I. Krastev (2022), Dr. P. Petrova (2022) and Dr. A. Yaneva (2025), who have consecutively joined the team, contributing to the department's ongoing development and expertise. In March 2024, Associate Professor Dr. Maria Levkova, PhD, completed her habilitation in “Medical Genetics". Since June 2024, the Head of the Department of Medical Genetics has been Associate Professor Dr. Trifon Chervenkov, PhD.
Teaching of Medical Genetics to medical students in Bulgaria was first introduced at VMI Varna in 1969 by Professor Dr. Maria Tsoneva, initially as a course of lectures during the ninth semester. From the academic year 1974/1975, full courses of lectures and practical exercises in Medical Genetics were officially introduced into the curricula of all medical institutes in Bulgaria during the third semester, completed with a pass/fail evaluation. From 1994/1995, the course moved to the fifth semester, ending with an exam, and from 1996/1997 to the present day, it is taught during the seventh semester. Since 2000, Medical Genetics training has also been offered to medical interns and students in various healthcare specialties at colleges in Varna, Shumen, and Dobrich. Currently, teaching is conducted at the Medical Colleges in Varna, Sliven (since 2013), Shumen (since 2015), and Veliko Tarnovo (since 2015).
In 2019, a new curriculum was adopted at MU-Varna for the discipline of Clinical Immunology. In 2020, teaching of the subject Clinical Immunology was introduced by Associate Professor Dr. Trifon Chervenkov, PhD, and Assistant Dr. B. Shtereva. From 2022 onwards, Assistants Dr. I. Krastev and Dr. P. Petrova also joined the teaching team for the new discipline.
The Department of Medical Genetics at "Saint Marina" University Hospital continues to successfully uphold and develop the foundations laid by its predecessors.
