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CONTENTS

INTRODUCTION ....................................................................................................................................... 3
Women in STEM ...................................................................................................................................... 3
ELS HEINSALU ......................................................................................................................................... 4
ENE ERGMA ............................................................................................................................................. 6
KARIN WRITZL ......................................................................................................................................... 8
prof. dr. TATJANA AVŠIČ ŽUPANC ........................................................................................................ 11
Canan Dağdeviren ................................................................................................................................. 13
Gözde Durmuş....................................................................................................................................... 15
LAURA AYRES ........................................................................................................................................ 17
RAGUEL OLIVEIRA ................................................................................................................................. 18
PROFESSOR Dr. ELISAVETA KARAMIHAYLOVA .................................................................................... 19
PROF. DBN DOBRINA NIKOLOVA TEMNISKOVA .................................................................................. 23

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INTRODUCTION

Women in STEM
According to UIS data less than 30% of the world researchers are women. To go beyond
the hard numbers we must admit that there are too many factors that deter women from pursuing
careers in STEM.

The aim of Minds on Hands on STEM Goes on project e-book is to emphasize

women`s contribution in the field of STEM and to increase the students` interest in Science,
Technology, Engineering and Maths. This e-book is a result of studies of both students and
teachers who had the tough task to do a survey about the women in science. After that the
students were asked to choose two of the most notable women from their countries according
to some criteria and collect information about them.

Our students did an excellent work and the following conclusions were made: Women
have played an increasing role in science since the ancient to the modern world.Despite the
success of their work they often faced barriers of the society and had to use strategies to have
their work accepted. Some centuries were characterized by divergent views and stereotypes
towards women but this did not discourage them to stop their research work. In fact women
played a foremost role in the development of STEM disciplines.

A logical result of women's work and efforts in science are the Nobel Prizes they were
awarded : 40 women have been awarded the Nobel Prize between 1901 and 2010. 17 women
have been awarded the Nobel Prize in physics, chemistry, physiology or medicine.

Some women-researchers from Estonia, Turkey, Portugal, Slovenia and Bulgaria

also experienced great advances in science . The following women-scientists of the countries
taking part in the project were chosen to be presented in this e-book:

Els Heinsalu (physics) and Ene Ergma (astrophysics) from Estonia

Karin Writzl (medicine-genetics) and Tatjana Avšič Županc (medicine-virology)

from Slovenia

Canan Dağdeviren (physics, engineering) and Gözde Durmuş (molecular

biology,genetics) from Turkey

Laura Ayres (medicine-epidemiology) and Raquel Oliveira(biochemistry) from

Portugal

Elisaveta Karamihaylova (nuclear and atomic physics) and Dobrina Temniskova

(biology-botany) from Bulgaria

With gratitude to all the women in the field of science.

Bulgarian project team

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ELS HEINSALU
Els Heinsalu, a mother of four, doctor of Physics and President of the Estonian Young
Academy of Sciences has studied casual processes, dealing with complex systems and language
ecology. She works in the Laboratory of High Energy and Computing Physics at the Institute
of Chemical Physics and Biophysics.
She is the type of a scientist who is inspired by several areas. Her field of research is
impressive: natural sciences and engineering; physics and technical physics; mathematical and
general theoretical physics, classical mechanics, quantum mechanics, relativity, gravitation,
statistical physics, thermodynamics; stochastic processes; diffusion processes; complex
systems (ecological models, language dynamics, econophysics).

Heinsalu Autor/allikas: Sander Koit / ERR

As she has told herself: physics does not have a problem that the ideas would end. Ideas
come from life itself. At the conference, at home, in the coffee shop, reading someone's work
or listening to a presentation or from the question of a child.
She graduated from the Rakvere Gymnasium in 1998, earning the Harald Henno Jänese
Award. She decided to become a physicist at the end of the tenth grade. "I had different interests.
Otherwise, I would not deal with complex systems". She also considered to go to study
philosophy, but it seemed too abstract. "I always had a feeling in physics that I did not
understand everything. I think it was a challenge: to deal with physics in order to understand

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more. "
At the university, she intended to focus on environmental physics, but in recent years of
her studies, she felt that her path was, on the contrary, theoretical physics. In 2002, she defended
a bachelor's degree in physics at the University of Tartu (the subject of the bachelor's thesis was
Brown's movement in periodical power fields), in 2004, at the same master's degree
(dissertation Diffusion and Coherence of Brownian particles in tilted periodic potentials,
supervisors Teet Örd and Risto Tammelo.
She defended her doctoral thesis in theoretical physics (dissertation "Normal and
anomalously slow diffusion under external fields", supervisor Teet Örd).
During her doctoral program, she spent half a year in Germany in Marburg, Augsburg,
half a year in Camerino, Italy, two and a half years in Palma, and one postdoctoral student at
Copenhagen. According to her, it has helped her in the work, because every place has its own
themes.
Els Heinsalu is currently studying language and ecosystems. She and her husband Marco
Patriarca examined how physical geography affects language competition.
"A scientist can contribute to society in many ways. One is the popularization of science.
Another, which is very important in Estonia, is to create an understanding of where and for what
science may be needed and where people with doctoral degrees can be helpful.
Her list of academic awards is impressive:
2017, The L’Oréal-UNESCO For Women in Science fellowship;
2008, The Estonian national contest for student research papers, 1-st award in doctoral level,
Natural sciences and engineering
2008, Annual award of Estonian Physics Society
2006, The Estonian national contest for student research papers, 1-st award in doctoral level,
Natural sciences and engineering
2005, Prize of the University of Mynster
2004,, The 2-nd award of the Estonian Academy of Science for student research papers
2004, The student prize of Estonian Physical Society
2002, The 2-nd award of the Estonian Academy of Science for student
research papers
2002, Prize of the University of Mynster

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ENE ERGMA

Ene Ergma is an Estonian politician, a member of the Riigikogu (Estonian parliament),

and scientist.
Her childhood passed by in the small town of Viljandi. She has described an interesting
case from her childhood that made her become interested in physics and most probably
influenced her carreer choices.

„At the market, I once heard two women talking about somebody who had gone to
Moscow to study plasma physics. I did not know the meaning of this term, but I found some
popular-science books about plasma physics and decided that this would be a very interesting
subject to study.”.

She tried to become a student of Moscow University, but it did not succeed on first

attempt. Instead, she became a student of Tartu University in Estonia. After two years, the
astronomers suggested her to go to Moscow to study stellar evolution. „I was not enthusiastic

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about astronomy because it had not been an exciting subject for me at school, but they told me
that stars are huge plasma spheres with perfectly working thermonuclear reactors inside, and
that caught my interest. Today, I understand that it was a great piece of luck that I turned to
astrophysics.”

In 1969, she graduated from Moscow University (cum laude) as astronomer. Three years
later, she defended her thesis of candidate of mathematical-physical sciencies (PhD equavalent)
and in 1984, her thesis of doctor of mathematical-physical sciences (Dr. Sc.). Between 1972
and 1988, she worked in Astronomical Council as junior researcher, then as the executive
secretary, as a senior and subsequently as the leading researcher. The main topics of her research
are stellar evolution and the physics of stars, unstable nuclear burning and the evolution of
exotic binary systems with neutron stars and black holes.

In 1988 Professor Ergma became the professor of astrophysics at Tartu University, in

1997, a member of the Estonian Academy of Sciences, and since 1999 she is the vice-president
of the Estonian Academy of Sciences. In March 2003, Professor Ergma was elected a Speaker
of the Estonian Parliament. From September 2002 onwards, she was the chairwoman of the
Enwise Expert Group, established by the European Commission to report on the situation facing
women scientists in the Central and Eastern European countries and in the Baltic States.

„Studying physics is great. I always tell young people that a physics education is
the greatest and it allows you to do different things – even to become the president
of your parliament! It is very interesting to look at society from a physicist's point
of view.” (Ene Ergma)

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KARIN WRITZL
BIOGRAPHY:

Karin Writzl is
one of the most
recognized scientists in
Slovenia in the last few
years. She is a specialist in
clinical genetics and the
head of FISH Laboratory,
where she deals with
molecular cytogenetics
(Molecular cytogenetics
is micro-network technology or comparative genomic hybridization.). After graduating at
Srednja naravoslovna šola Bežigrad (Secondary School of Natural Sciences; today's
Gymnasium Gimnazija Bežigrad), she successfully passed acceptance exams for the Faculty of
Electrical Engineering and the Faculty of Medicine. She decided to choose medicine. Her
parents always gave her the opportunity to choose freely and they encouraged her to make her
own decision based on what she really looked forward to and what would make her happy to
do all her life.
During her studies, she was enthusiastic about internal medicine, however, she then by
coincidence applied for a position of a young researcher at the Clinical Institute of Medical
Genetics. She first completed a master's degree in a rare disease called incontinence pigments,
then a doctorate, where she found out the genetic causes of male infertility and the causes for
cleft lips and cleft palate. By finishing her doctorate, she received her title doc. dr. Karin Writzl,
dr. med. Meanwhile, specialization in clinical genetics appeared in Slovenia. It was the first
specialty in Slovenia in this field. During her specialization she was in London for a long time
at the Great Ormond Street Hospital, where children with rare diseases were treated (they also
recorded TV documentary series). Her mentor was Raoul Hennkam, after
whom Hennkam Syndrome is named. Today, she is focused primarily on
patients with rare and un-researched illnesses and her work in the laboratory.

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WORK:
She is the first specialist in the field of clinical genetics in Slovenia. In addition, the
General Secretary of the European Society of Medical Genetics (ESHG) and editor of the
American Journal of Medical Genetics magazine. Today she works at the Clinical Institute of
Genetics UKC Ljubljana as a clinical geneticist in the clinic. Her primary work is working with
patients who have rare genetic diseases.
ACHIEVEMENTS:
Her achievements are particularly in the field of genetics, as she is one of the 15
scientists contributing to the detection of a genome that causes a genetic change in the gene of
the amino acid. The gene responsible for this change was found in mitochondria, for which it
has been known for some time that they play an important role in aging. The discovery of the
gene revealed a new mechanism in the field of premature aging. This is also the first gene to be
discovered in the mitochondria and that it functions in the mitochondria.
REASONS FOR RESEARCH:

There were several reasons for the start of the research; one of them was the discovery
of the cause of the disease and the contribution to the development of medicine. Mostly she
starts researches because of her patients. One of the studies was started because of a boy called
Tibor, who was born with a rare gene defect. She also studies the development of the disease
and thus creates a series of new information, and this creates the basis for the search and the
development of new drugs for genetic diseases. 'Because the causes for many genetic diseases
are still unknown, the reason for any research is always the patients and the desire to find the
answer, why they are having problems,' said Karin Writzl.
The mother of the boy
with a gene mutation
Irena Lesjak, who enabled
this important research
(left), carried out and led
by Aleš Maver, Karin
Writzl and Borut Peterlin.
Photo: UKC Ljubljana

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 TRIVIA:

Karin Writzl was the first to sign under an article about her research findings that was
published in a foreign journal - the American Journal of Human Genetics. At the same time,
she is also the only Slovenian scientist who participated in the research. The fact that the
scientist loves music very much is very interesting, she earned her first money by singing in an
Opera.
CONNECTION WITH SCIENTISTS THROUGH TIME:

The research was carried out by the help of two of her colleagues (Prof. Peterlin and Dr.
Maver). There were also 12 experts from five countries (Italy, Spain, France, the Netherlands
and Ireland). She can be compared to many successful female scientists and male scientists
around the world who have contributed to the development of medicine. One of the most
important scientists in medicine with whom Karin cooperated in London is Raoul Hennekam
(her mentor in specialization), after whom the Hennkam Syndrome is named. Karin says that
Hennkamp impressed her with his knowledge, approach to patients and their parents, and all
the books and articles he wrote about his work.

Follow your dreams. If you find work that you love, your job will be a hobby and
success will come on its own. ' Karin Writzl

Prepared by Neža Dulc, 9. a

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prof. dr. TATJANA AVŠIČ ŽUPANC

BIOGRAPHY:

Prof. dr. Tatjana Avšič

Županc is a renowned scientist
and expert in the field of virology.
She is known for her work in
Slovenia and abroad. Born in
1957, she attended elementary
school and gymnasium in Brežice.
She continued her studies at the
Biotechnical Faculty and the
Faculty of Medicine in Ljubljana,
where she received her doctorate
in the field of medical sciences,
more specifically, virology (the
science of viruses). She taught at the Institute of Microbiology and led a Laboratory for Disease
Diagnosis, which can (indirectly) be transmitted from animals to humans. Since 1999 she has
been a full-time professor at the Faculty of Medicine at the University of Ljubljana, and she
also teaches as a guest professor at the Faculty of Medicine in Split. In the 80s of the last
century, the Dobrava virus was discovered which was her greatest discovery. She publishes her
findings in international publications. She has conducted several international research projects
and is a respected member of numerous Slovenian and international professional associations
and organizations.
First she attended elementary school in Brežice. She continued her education at the
Brežice gymnasium. She decided to study at the Biotechnical Faculty, then at the Faculty of
Medicine in Ljubljana. There she received her doctorate in the field of medical sciences,
virology. She decided to be a scientist because she was very interested in this particular field.

WORK and ACHIEVEMENTS:

Her greatest discovery is the Dobrava virus from the group called Hantavirus, which
causes hemorrhagic fever with renal syndrome, also known as Korean hemorrhagic fever,
epidemic hemorrhagic fever, and nephropathis epidemica. We shouldn´t forget the management
of the group of Slovenian researchers who in 2016 proved the first connection between the Zika
virus and microcephaly in children in the world. She first read about Zika virus in 2002 when
she was preparing for a lecture for students. The name was immediately interesting to her, and
for this reason she also decided to pursue further research related to the Zika virus.
During her studies, she has received several awards and recognitions:
➢ prestigious award of the American Research Council,
➢ Zois Prize for top achievements in the field of virology,
➢ International Prize of the Russian Academy of Medical Sciences "100
years of Virology"
➢ President Borut Pahor's "Apples Inspiration" (˝jabolko navdiha˝) Award.

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virus Dobrava – a clip made with an electronic microscope

TRIVIA:

The Dobrava virus was named after a town Dobrava near Žužemberk, where it was
isolated from the mice. This virus is the only virus in the world with a Slovenian name.

CONNECTION WITH OTHER SCIENTISTS IN HER TIME:

The team of researchers consisted of not only Tatjana Avšič-Županc but also Jernej
Mlakar, Miša Korva, Nataša Tul, Mara Popović, Mateja Poljšak Prijatelj, Jerica Mraz, Marko
Kolenc, Katarina Resman Rus, Vesna Fabjan Vodušek, Alenka Vizjak, Jože Pižem, Miroslav
Petrovec and Tina Vesnaver Vipotnik.

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 Canan Dağdeviren

She was born in Istanbul on 4 May 1985. She lived in Kocaeli until university. She
attended to Adana Seyhan ÇEAŞ Anatolian High School as a guest student because her school
in Kocaeli was damaged after the earthquake in 1999. She is the eldest child in her family, she
has two brothers. Caner is 2 years younger than her. He works as a computer engineer and a
bank inspector. Emre is a student at Cerrahpaşa Medical School. They are planning to work
together in the future.

She had a happy and

beautiful childhood. Her
mother was her first
teacher. They were just
like friends. She learned
the experience of
experimenting, making
plans, reading books, the
power of research, and the
benefits of teamwork with
the help of her mother. Her
father is her hero. He is a
fan of her radical decisions,
risk taking, human-focused
life. She says that the curiosity
of knowledge at a young age is the result of her father.

In June 2007, she graduated from the departmant of Physics Engineering at Hacettepe
University. Then she attended from Sabancı University Materials Science and Engineering in
2009. She won the Fulbright Ph.D. Scholarship for the first time in 2009. As a Fulbright
Doctoral Fellow, she received her Ph.D. degree in Material Science and Engineering at the
University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. Dagdeviren developed a conformable,
piezoelectric, energy harvester that converts mechanical energy from internal organ movements
into electric energy to power medical devices. It is soft and flexible and conforms to the heart
as well as other soft tissues.

This technology could extend the battery life of implanted electronics or eliminate the
need of battery replacement, sparing patients from repeated operations and the risk of surgical
complications. Beginning in January 2017, she will assume the role of assistant professor at the
MIT Media Lab, where she will direct the Conformable Decoders research group.

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 She is dreaming of being
able to do a lot of work in the
near future. She is currently
doing a needle-shaped battery
to help Parkinson and other
patients suffering from brain
illnesses. The experiments on
monkeys have been very
successful so she is very
excited and hopeful about it.
Recently she has some friends
suffering due to breast cancer so
she also concentrates on early
diagnosis of breast cancer after brain projection.

She thinks the main achievement

is to make a smile on a patient face even
in the hard times of the illness in his
short life, and to provide healthy days
with loved ones.

She points out that there are two turning points in her curiosity of knowledge. The first
one a book that his father gave him about Marie Curie; and the second one is the book of Erdal
İnönü “Anılar and Düşünceler”.

Prepared by students of Yeniköy Ortaokulu; İpek Dağ, Gamze Kılıç and Mustafa Koç
with the guidance of science teacher Hilmi Doğan and english teacher Yasemin Yılmaz.

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 Gözde Durmuş

Gözde Durmuş, although she is very young has been recognized among the "Top 35
Innovators Under 35 in 2015. Because she developed a cheap, fast and mobile-compatible test
for the early diagnosis of cancer. Now let’s have look at her life.

She was born in Izmir in

1985.Then she completed her
primary, secondary and high
school education in İzmir. She
started to the Department of
Molecular Biology and
Genetics at METU. In 2007, she
graduated from genetics.

Her mother was a science teacher and her father was an engineer. In the light of their
science knowledge, she was always interested science and mathematics. Especially her mother
was a good guide for her. Since childhood, biology has been very interesting for her. This was
actually because of the influence of her cousin. Since the time her cousin attended the Aegean
Faculty of Medicine she stayed in their house at the weekends.So Gözde watched what she was
doing when he was studying. She was usually talking to Gözde about her studies. Thus she has
been interested in biology and medicine since childhood.

In 2000, the Human Genome Project was completed. Then it was reported that there
was a 'genetically modified sheep'. It became one of the other reasons that encourage her to
study science.She thought she was fond of genetics. She believed that if she deals with science,
she could answer all the questions that she was interested in. So thanks to her family, she was
able make her decision and she started to work on the laboratory with some guidance from
METU's consultants.

Her next goal in choosing genetics was to go abroad, especially she wanted to go to
the USA. Going to the US was also her childhood dream.She knew the latest innovations were
coming out of here. In order to be one step ahead of her career, she wanted to go to the US to
improve herself even better. And in 2006 she found an internship at the medical faculty of
Harvard. She also did research on tissue engineering there. Thanks to that internship she had
the opportunity to work with people from different disciplines. It shaped her career. During the
four months she spent at Harvard University,she submitted an application for the Fulbright
Scholarship. In 2007 she came to the US with Fulbright scholarship. She received her Ph.D.
degree in Biomedical Engineering from Brown University in May 2013, with a minor in
Innovation Management and Entrepreneurship.

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 She is also an alumna of the Ignite Program at the Stanford University Graduate
School of Business. She was a Fulbright Scholar at Boston University and received her M.Eng.
degree in Biomedical Engineering as a College of Engineering Fellow in 2009. She received
her B.S. degree in Molecular Biology and Genetics from Middle East Technical University
(METU) in 2007.

Dr. Durmus has authored papers in journals including Nature Materials, PNAS,
Advanced Materials and Nature Scientific Reports. Her work was recognized and highlighted
by various prestigious journals and media outlets, such as Science, New Scientist, Popular
Mechanics, AIP News, Tech Times. Her research achievements have been recognized with ITI
Young Investigator Award from Stanford University, STAR Award Honorable Mention by the
Society for Biomaterials, Graduate Student Recognition Award from Brown University,
Entrepreneurial Fellowship from National Science Foundation (NSF) & Slater Technology
Fund and Fulbright Scholarship. She was also a finalist for the national CIMIT Student
Technology Prize for Primary Healthcare in 2012.

Prepared by students of Yeniköy Ortaokulu; İpek Dağ, Gamze Kılıç and Mustafa
Koç with the guidance of science teacher Hilmi Doğan and english teacher Yasemin Yılmaz.

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 LAURA AYRES

Laura Guilhermina Martins Ayres was born on 1st June 1922 in Loulé and died on 16th
January 1992 in Lisbon.

Licensed in Medicine in1942 by the Medicine University of Lisbon, she dedicated her work to
the area of Epidemiology.

She was a university teacher as well as a

health service doctor and a virologist.

In 1947 she aplies to a general internship

at the Civil Hospitals of Lisbon where she
got the 1st place.

Laura Ayres had an important role

in the campaign against AIDS in Portugal,
in 1985 she was the coordinator of The
AIDS Group Work and in 1990 she was
the president of the National Commission
Against AIDS.

Between 1955 and 1956 she worked/studied the Tracoma agent. In 1963 she won the
Ricardo Jorge’s prize for her works /results in the area. In 1979 and 1980 she organised the 1st
National Serological Survey which won the Ricardo Jorge Public Health prize in 1983.

The Agrupamento de Escolas of Quarteira and the Regional Public Health Laboratory
of Algarve were named after her.

She was awarded with the Honour Medal of the Loulé County and in 2006,
posthumously, her name was given to the Virology Centre of Ricardo Jorge National Health
Institute.

Prepared by students Beatriz Teixeira and Catarina Veríssimo.

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 RAGUEL OLIVEIRA

Raquel Aguiar de Oliveira was born on 12th January 1980.

She finished her degree in Biochemistry at the Sciences College from Oporto University
in 2002. In 2007 she concluded with distinction her PhD in Cell Biology Biochemistry at
Coimbra University.

Between 2007 and 2012 she did a PhD at the NasmythLab, at the Biochemistry
Department of the Oxford University, UK.

She works as a director of the Chromosome Dynamics Lab at the Gulbenkian Science Institute
since 2012.

Prepared by students Raissa Parente and Raúl Nunes.

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 PROFESSOR Dr. ELISAVETA KARAMIHAYLOVA

The name of Prof. Dr. Elisaveta Karamihailova is related to the development of nuclear
physics in Bulgaria, which she dedicated more than 30 years of her life. Karamihaylova can
reasonably be called "the first lady of Bulgarian physics". Because she is really the first - the
first woman, a habilitated person in the oldest university in Bulgaria - Sofia University "St.
Kliment Ohridski” organizer of the first system course with practical exercises in atomic
physics.

She was the Founder and First Chief of the

Department of Atomic Physics at the
University and the Laboratory of
Radioactivity at the Physics Institute of the
Bulgarian Academy of Sciences; the first
professor of radioactivity and nuclear
spectroscopy and the first woman professor of
physics in Bulgaria.

She was a real "lady," but not in the

secular sense of this word - aristocrat in spirit,
a lady of great general culture, a non-
palliative, strange man who laughed at her
shortcomings. She spoke and wrote fluently
in German, English and French.

E. Karamyhilova was born on 3

December 1897 in Vienna. Her father, Dr. Ivan
Karamihaylov, has graduated from Robert College in Istanbul and medicine in Vienna, where
he remains specialized in surgery. There he met and married Mary Slade, an English aristocrat
who studied and specialized in piano and composition in Vienna. The very promising
musicologist after marriage gives her family and the upbringing of her three children: Elisaveta,
Ivan and Rayna.

He taught them, besides the full course of the primary school in German, also piano, singing,
painting and English. She learns to write and read in Bulgarian, and even translates into a
German Bulgarian textbook by fatherland so that Elisaveta knows the history of her homeland.

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Despite the great career opportunities in Vienna, the talented surgeon Dr. Karamihaylov
returned in 1907 with his family in Bulgaria because his country needed his medical knowledge.
In their spacious home (Today House of the Union of Architects in Bulgaria) in the classical
style in the center of Sofia was housed its surgical clinic in which the poor were treated free.

Here also was the doctor`s sister - the artist Elena Karamihaylova, who is among the
creators of Bulgarian Impressionism. In this house, under the sounds of her mother's piano,
between her aunt's paintings and the many books in foreign languages,Elisaveta grew up and
spent most of her life

In the period 1912-1914. the father worked as a front surgeon, and Elisaveta and Mary as
sanitary women in the military hospital They took care of the wounded soldiers. This humane
environment leaves a deep impression on the formation of E. Karamihailova's personality and
views.

In 1917, Elisaveta graduated with great success at First Sofia High School and went to
Vienna, the city of her first memories. He enrolled in physics and mathematics at the Faculty
of Philosophy at the University of Vienna, listening to lectures on various philosophical
disciplines, history of art, mineralogy, astronomy, etc.

She graduated in 1920. Under the leadership of Professor Carl Przibram she
prepared and defended in 1922 a doctoral dissertation entitled "Über elektrische Figuren auf
verschiedenen Materialen, insbesonders auf Kristallen" and received the Doctoris philosophiae
degree.

From 1921 to 1923, Karamihailova worked with Professor Przibram on

radioluminescence and radio photoluminescence at the Institut für Radiumforschung der
Akademie der Wissenschaften (Radium Institute) in Vienna. The results of their research on
the radioluminescence of the quantum minerals and the theoretical interpretations of the results

20
obtained find important practical application later. They become the basis of modern methods
of integral dosimetry - the determination of the total absorbed radiation from an organism for a
certain period of time.

She was recently invited by Dr. Hans Pettersson to engage in the research conducted
at the Radium Institute on one of the most recent trends in nuclear physics at the time - the
transmutation of light elements in alpha-rays. This is the pioneering stage of the modern
"Nuclear Reaction".

Later, the Rockefeller Foundation was interested in them and they began to develop in
other places. The Austrian government has authorized the opening of a place for Assistant to
which Karamihaylova was appointed. (In order to get a job, she had to accept an Austrian
nationality, but she did not want to change her nationality.)

Karamihaylova workеd at the Radium Institute, which was among the leading research
centers for radioactivity. In the Institute there was an atmosphere of friendship - everyone felt
a member of a family - "Vienna Radium Familie". Everyone was interested in the research of
others, offered help and was ready to exchange ideas. The participation of young scientists and
students, including women (!), in research was encouraged.

There, Karamihailova had the pleasure of finding friends for life and taking part in
research with the famous physicists Hans Pettersson, Elizabeth Rona, Marietta Blau, Elizabeth
Föyn, Berta Karlik. Her work published during this period had been repeatedly quoted. She
made collaborative research with N. Petterson and B. Karlik on the scintillation method for the
detection of alpha-particles and protons.

In their research on the artificial transformation of thorium through neutrons, E.

Karamihailova, E. Rona and E. Föyn found additive activity. The results of their collaborative
research were published in 1935,

This period of her life coincided with her application for research scholarships to the
English, French and American sections of the International Women's Society of Higher
Education, to which Karamihailova has been a member since 1929.

In 1935, Karamihailova won a 3-year Alfred Yarrow Research Fellowship competition at

Girton College in Cambridge, England, and was accepted to participate in research at the
Cavendish Laboratory. The fact that a woman and a foreign woman was accepted to work at
the Atomic Physics Laboratory at this time is highly regarded for the qualities of Karamihailova
as a researcher. During her stay in England,she also visited research institutes in Norway,
Sweden, Denmark, the Netherlands, Belgium and France, and established friendly and scientific
contacts with fellow nuclear physicists from these countries.

In 1939 the dream of Karamihaylova to return to her homeland and finally to be useful
for Bulgarian science was realized - in December, she was appointed a lecturer in
"Experimental Atomics with Radioactivity" at the Department of Experimental Physics and
Meteorology of the Sofia University.

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 According to the practice established at that time, the newly elected members had to
deliver the so- introductory lectures in front of the university audience. This is how the
"Women's Journal" describes the presentation of the first woman-habilitated person who
crossed the threshold of Sofia University March 8, 1940 "... in the presence of the Rector of
the University and of many professors and public figures, as well as of numerous students, the
big university audience №14 became an event that was the first of its kind in the life of a
Bulgarian university: the first Bulgarian regular associate professor - Elizabeth Karamihaylova
read her introductory lecture on the subject "Space rays".

Sofia University can now be proud that it is one of the very few universities in Europe in
which the professor's office is a learned woman. In the face of Miss Karamihaylova we
congratulate the first Bulgarian woman, who, thanks to her scientific works, managed to gain
recognition among Bulgarian scientists “

The main direction in her research remained the end of her life research of the
radioactivity of natural objects: drinking and mineral waters, soils, healing mud, rock materials,
etc. She transferred this subject to the Bulgarian Academy of Sciences, where she was appointed
head of the newly created section "Radioactivity and Nuclear Spectroscopy" at the Physical
Institute, which led to her death on April 22, 1968.

Some of the results of the scientific expeditions published back then, others have been
preserved as official reports. Many of the collected samples remained long after her death, and
they buried her office ... Maybe then, not all of them have appreciated the importance of these
studies, considering them to be routine. But today, when the concepts of "environmental
protection", "ecology" and "radioecology" are filled with real content, we must pay tribute to
Karamihailova's work and as one of the pioneers of radio-ecology in Bulgaria.
Dedicated to science, E. Karamyhilova remains unmarried. But loneliness did not
destroy her character and did not separate her from people. With guidance, counseling,
responsiveness and love, she helped her students find their way into science. She did not let
them enter the laboratory with the radioactive elements in order not to be exposed to rays
because they were young and life was in front of them. She enjoyed their success and created
among them a sense of community and trust. In addition to a scientific heritage of more than
40 labor, she left behind a whole host of valuable nuclear physicists who continued her work.
And this is the greatest acknowledgment of her dignified life path, for which the most accurate
definition gives her assistant at Sofia University Mr Hristov:

"Prof. Dr. Elisaveta Karamihaylova undoubtedly remains a great person in the history of our
physics ... She is one of our compatriots who most contributed the name of Bulgaria in many
places to pronounce with respect ... She lived with science and science lived with her .We need
to learn from her how science should be respected and how people should love.
"

Prepared by Viliana Dobreva student of Yordan Yovkov Primary School Varna

with the guidance of Emilia Mihaylova science teacher and Julieta Mihaylova
English teacher

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 PROF. DBN DOBRINA NIKOLOVA TEMNISKOVA

Date and place of birth: 12.11.1934, town of Veliko Tarnovo. There she made her
first steps in elementary school and gymnasium. During the educational period raised her
interest to algae and their magnificent microscopical world. In 1962 she started work as
external assistant in the same department and in 1964 occupied there a position of a regular
assistant. Since 1964 till her retirement in 2004 she spent all her lifetime in the Departmemt of
Botany growing step by step in her career.In 1972 she defined her PhD Thesis of
euglenophytes and other flagallate algae.In 1982 she became Associated Professor.In 1994
she defend a second thesis on fossil diatom in Bulgaria and obtained the degree "Doctor of
Biological Science". In 1995 she became a Professor of Botany. Especially helpful for her
scientific development was the possibility to specialize in the Diatom Lab of St Petersburg
University(1968-1969)

Education: 1957-higher, scientific-production profile, specialty Biology, Biological-

Geological-Geographic Faculty, Sofia University "St. Kliment Ohridski”

Scientific Profile: Taxonomy, Ecology, Evolution and Phylogeny, Biostratigraphy and

Paleoecology of Algae. Printed works: more than 110 printed in our
country and in Germany, France, Sweden, Finland, Russia, USA and
others.

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 She has various scientific achievements and a great role in Bulgarian botany. She
plays an important role in the Bulgarian scientific organization founded in 1923. Very special
note is to be given to the efforts of Prof. Temniskova to unify and consolidate Bulgarian
algologists who belong to different scientific schools and traditions.

The scientific works of Prof. Temniskova represent the stable ground for future
studies of fossil and recent biodiversity of algae and fungi and systematization in Bulgaria and
for its conservation. Diatoms became her "great love". She was the head of the Lab of Diatom
analysis in the department of botany (1982-2002), head of the department of botany (1996-
2002), member of the Faculty Council of the Faculty of Biology (1987-2002). As well as a
member of the Editorial boards - Plants of the Red Data Book of Bulgaria. She was elected as
the first Ombudsman of Sofia University 2004-2012. She was also a deeply respected member
of many scientific councils and boards. For her various teaching and administrative activities
and scientific contributions Prof. Temniskova was awarded by the prestigious signs.

Main activity: Professor of botany, part-time lecturer at Sofia University St. Kliment
Ohridski Specializations: Germany (1966), Russia, (1968-69), Ukraine (1969) Scientific degree
and title: Doctor of Biological Sciences (1994); Professor (1996) Occupations: Founder and
Head of the Diametric Analysis Laboratory (1982-2002); - Head of Botanica Department
(1996-2002).
• Member of the Faculty of Biology (1987-2002)
• member of the Academic Council of Sofia University (1999-2003)

Membership in scientific advice:

➢ Committee on Medical Biochemistry at the Higher Medical Academy, 2000-2003

➢ Specialized Council of Botany and Micology at the Higher Medical Academy, 1995
➢ Scientific Council of the Central Laboratory of General Ecology, BAS, 1999-
➢ Scientific Council of the Institute of Botany (BAS), 1999
➢ Scientific Council of the Biological Faculty, St. Kliment Ohridski University, 1989-
2003
➢ Scientific Coordination Center for Global Projects at the Bulgarian Academy of
Sciences, 2004
➢ Membership in international scientific organizations:
➢ International Society for Diatom Research, England, 1999
➢ International Phycologycal Society, Canada, 1994
➢ Membership in Bulgarian scientific societies:
➢ The Bulgarian Botanical Society (BBD), 1964
➢ Chairman of the Upper Plants Division at the BBD, 1985-1989
➢ Chairman of the Bulgarian Botanical Society, 1999
➢ Society of Ecologists in Bulgaria, 1999
➢ Union of Scientists in Bulgaria, 1966

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Awards:

➢ Honorary sign of the Sofia University, I degree, 1999.

➢ Honorary sign of the University of Sofia with blue band, 2003.
➢ Membership in editorial roles: Yearbook of Sofia University St. Kliment Ohridski
➢ Forest Science, BAS Editorial Board of the Red Book.

More than 50 scientific reports have been published in the USA, Sweden, Finland,
Belgium, the Netherlands, Russia, Hungary, the Czech Republic, the former Yugoslavia,
Greece, Turkey, etc.

✓ Member of the Organizing Committee of the VII World Phiological Congress, 2001,
with Prof. M. Chihora, Japan.
✓ Participation in international projects (more significant):
✓ Head of the project under UNESCO
✓ Head of UNESCO Project 329
✓ Two tasks under UNESCO Project 158 B
✓ Joint scientific topics with the Universities of Belgrade, Athens and others.
✓ Participation in international and national projects over the last 5 years
✓ EMERGE partner in the European Mounatain lake Ecosystems, headed by S. Pattrik
✓ Lecturer with Belgrade University
✓ Leader of two topics on complex projects for Antarctic Research under the Ministry of
Transport and Communications

Areas of scientific competence: Botany (algae and mushrooms) - code 01.06.03 Ecology and
conservation of ecosystems - code 02.22.01 .

Prepared by Ivana Todorova a student of Yordan Yovkov Primary School Varna with the
guidance of Emilia Mihaylova science teacher and Julieta Mihaylova English teacher

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