News
The Department of Chemical and Pharmaceutical Engineering at Sofia University in collaboration with the European Chemical Society and the Academy of Pharmaceutical Sciences, successfully organized the Formula XII conference, held from 15 to 18 June 2025 at Hotel Millennium, Sofia, Bulgaria.
Prof. Denkov was awarded the Prix Formula – Pierre Fillet 2025 by the Formulation Group of the French Chemical Society. The prize was presented in person by Prof. Cécile Pagnoux, President of the Formulation Group, during the official dinner of the Formula XII Conference and Yoann Lefeuvre, Director of Product Management, Microtrac Formulaction, France. The “Pierre Fillet” Prize is awarded at the Formula Congresses to a distinguished scientist who has made significant contributions to the field of formulation over the course of their career. A previous recipient of this prize was Prof. Werner Kunz of the University of Regensburg (2023).
Dr. Diana Cholakova has been appointed to the Editorial Board of the journal Colloids and Surfaces A: Physicochemical and Engineering Aspects (IF = 5.4).
Dr. Diana Cholakova has been selected as the winner of the 2025 European Young Lipid Scientist Award, presented by the European Federation of Lipid Science and Technology (Euro Fed Lipids). The award ceremony will take place during the 20th Euro Fed Lipid Congress and Expo (12-15 October 2025) in Leipzig, Germany. As part of the event, Dr. Cholakova will deliver her award lecture titled: “Polymorphism in Triglyceride Systems: In Bulk and in Emulsion Droplets”
Dr. Ivan Lesov has been appointed Associate Professor in the Department of Chemical and Pharmaceutical Engineering, Faculty of Chemistry and Pharmacy, Sofia University.
Prof. Nikolai Denkov and Dr. Diana Cholakova participated in symposium “The Art and Science of Liquid Interfaces”, held at the Collegium Helveticum, ETH Zurich, Switzerland. The event was organized by Prof. Moran Bercovici (Technion Israel, visiting professor, Soft Materials and Interfaces group, Department of Material Science, ETH) and Prof. Lucio Isa (Professor of Soft Materials and Interfaces, Department of Material Science, ETH). Dr. Cholakova and Prof. Denkov delivered two invited talks titled: “The beauty of drop self‐shaping: phenomenon and its mechanism” and “Spontaneous nano‐ and double w/o/w emulsions formation with lipid drops undergoing phase transitions”. Their presentations highlighted the scientific insights and aesthetic elegance of spontaneous self-shaping and self-bursting phenomena. The symposium welcomed around 60 participants, many of whom were PhD students from ETH Zurich
Second Phase of “BioResources” Center-of-Competence Project Launched
The second phase of the project “Competence Center for Sustainable Utilization of Bio-Resources from Medicinal and Aromatic Plants for Innovative Products” (BioResources) has officially begun.
Dr. Diana Cholakova presented an invited keynote lecture at the 2nd Berlin Symposium on Structured Lipid Phases, organized by Prof. Dr. Eckhard Flöter at TU Berlin. Her presentation, titled “Polymorphic phase transitions in triacylglycerols and alkanes: Similarities and differences”, explored the fundamental mechanisms underlying phase behavior in these systems. The symposium brought together around 60 scientists from both academia and industry, united by their shared interest in topics such as fat crystallization, oleogelation, confectionery applications, analytical techniques, structural analysis, modeling and data processing, emulsions, delivery systems, and non-food applications.
In 2024, 5 professors from the Department of Chemical and Pharmaceutical Engineering have once again been included in Stanford/Elsevier’s Top 2% Scientist Ranking. Based on their publications and citations received in the past year only, Prof. Denkov, Prof. Kralchevsky, Prof. Tcholakova and Prof. Ivanov are ranked 435, 1541, 1712 and 1742, respectively, in the Chemical Physics category among 106 831 scientists included. Considering career-long data, Prof. Denkov, Prof. Kralchevsky, Prof. Ivanov and Prof. Danov hold ranks of 640, 1103, 1646 and 1746, respectively.
MSc Student Petar Borisov was awarded as being one of the three best students in the category “Sports achievements” in the annual “Student of the Year” awards of Sofia University.
Our MSc Student Petar Borisov received an award from Sofia University for his high sport achievements in the field of sports orienteering. Part of his prizes won by Peter include: Student champion and vice-champion in the middle and sprint distance, respectively Stara Zagora’23; Student vice-champion in middle distance orienteering, Mountain and trail running – Student champion in cross country for 2023 and 1st place in middle distance (27 km) – Salomon Vitosha Trail 2023.
Prof. Denkov, Prof. Kralchevsky, Prof. Ivanov, and Prof. Danov are included in the Stanford/Elsevier’s Top 2% Scientist Ranking for 2023. They are ranked 662, 1058, 1673 and 1782, respectively, in the Chemical Physics category among 100 804 scientists included.
Dr. Diana Cholakova received the best young scientist “Pythagoras” award in the Natural and Engineering Sciences category.
MSc Student Martin Pantov was awarded as being one of the three best students in the category “Natural sciences” in the annual “Student of the Year” awards of Sofia University for 2022-2023 year.
Dr. Diana Cholakova received the ECIS-Exerowa-Platikanov Award for the best oral contribution in the thematic trend of Surface Forces, Foams and Emulsions, presented by a young scientist at the 36th annual Colloid and Interface Society Conference held in Chania, Crete, Greece. Her talk was entitled: “Drop self-shaping, self-bursting and swimming: simple non-living system which enlivens upon temperature variation”.
Furthermore, a microscopy image made by Diana was selected as one of 10 finalists in the “Art of Science Image” competition.
Our student Desislava Glushkova received the “Akvahim” award for her BSc degree thesis entitled “Nanoparticle formation via polymorphic phase transitions in triglycerides”. The award is given annually by the Union of Chemists in Bulgaria for the best thesis defended in the field of chemistry in the preceding year.
MSc Student Desislava Glushkova won the big prize in the “Student of the Year” award of Sofia University.
Dr. Diana Cholakova received the “Best Oral Presentation” award precented by Langmuir on the 35th annual Conference of The European Colloid and Interface Society held in Athens, Greece. Diana presented an invited keynote lecture entitled: “Spontaneous nanoparticle formation with lipids undergoing polymorphic phase transitions”.
Prof. Peter Kralchevsky received the ECIS-Lyklema Prize for his influential works in the area of colloid and interface science and for his paramount dedication to the Society activities. The prize lecture entitled “Capillarity and Self-Assembly” was presented by Prof. Kralchevsky on the 34th meeting of the European Colloid and Interface Society.
Prof. Nikolai Denkov received a lectureship Award of the Division of Colloid and Surface Chemistry, The Chemical Society of Japan. This award was established for prominent researchers who currently play an active part in the field of colloid and surface chemistry, as well as for researchers in other areas who are expected to excel in the field of colloid and surface chemistry. As a winner of this award, Prof. Denkov gave a prize lecture entitled “Shape-shifting drops as micro-structured dynamic materials” in the 72nd Divisional Meeting of Division of Colloid and Interface Chemistry (Japan).
Dr. Ivan Lesov received the Sofia municipality award for the best young scientist of Sofia University for 2019.
Prof. Nikolai Denkov received the ECIS-Solvay prize. This prize is granted to a European scientist for original scientific work of outstanding quality, described in one or several publications, patents or other documents made public in the previous five years. The prize was received by Prof. Denkov at the 33rd ECIS conference held in Leuven, Belgium. Prof. Denkov gave a prize lecture entitled “New approaches for surfactant control of foam and emulsion properties”.
Prof. Krasimir Danov received the biggest scientific award in Bulgaria, the Pythagorean Grand Prize for overall contribution to the development of science. He is the third professor from the Department of Chemical and Pharmaceutical Engineering to receive this award, after the victories of Prof. Denkov (2010) and Prof. Kralchevsky (2016).
The head of the DCPE department, Prof. Slavka Tcholakova won the biggest Bulgarian scientific award “Pythagoras” in the category: “Established scientist in the field of natural sciences and engineering”.
Following her second place from the last year competition, this year MSc Student Diana Cholakova won first place in the “Student of the Year” awards given by the Students’ council at Sofia University. This year, the chairman of the jury was the current rector of the Sofia University, Prof. Anastas Gerdjikov.
Student Diana Cholakova received the “Akvahim” award for best bachelor degree thesis in the field of chemistry defended in 2015-2016 year in Bulgaria. Her BSc degree thesis, defended in July 2016, is entitled “Control over the shape of droplets undergoing phase transitions”.
Prof. Krassimir Danov (Corr. Member of BAS) has been awarded the Honorary Blue Ribbon Insignia of Sofia University “St. Kliment Ohridski”.
Our student Diana Cholakova has been awarded second place in the “Student of the Year” awards of Sofia University and first place in “Natural science” category.
Prof. Peter Kralchevsky, the current Dean of the Faculty of Chemistry and Pharmacy in Sofia University, received the Pythagorean Grand Prize for overall contribution to the development of science. This is the biggest scientific award in Bulgaria.
BSc Student Diana Cholakova received the best poster award in the “Solutions in the Spring” conference held in Homerton College, Cambridge, UK. Her poster showcased her work about the study of self-shaping droplets.
Prof. Nikolai Denkov has been awarded the Honorary Blue Ribbon Insignia of Sofia University “St. Kliment Ohridski”
Prof. Nikolai Denkov received the biggest scientific award in Bulgaria, the Pythagorean Grand Prize for overall contribution to the development of science.
Prof. Peter Kralchevsky was awarded the “St. Kliment Ohridski” University of Sofia Blue Ribbon Medal for significant achievements in science.
Prof. Krassimir Danov was awarded the F. W. Bessel Prize of the Humboldt Foundation (Germany).