Prof. Dr Sonja Topuzovska was born on 22 February 1965 in Skopje, where she completed her primary and secondary education. She enrolled at the Faculty of Medicine in Skopje in the 1983/1984 academic year and graduated in February 1989 with a grade point average of 9.73. In the same year, she enrolled in postgraduate studies at the Faculty of Medicine in Skopje. She has been employed at the Institute of Biochemistry at the Faculty of Medicine in Skopje since January 1991. She completed her postgraduate studies with a grade point average of 10 and defended her master's thesis in June 1997. In December 2002, she defended her doctoral thesis.
Prof. Dr Sonja Topuzovska is actively involved in delivering theoretical and practical teaching for the subjects: Medical Chemistry, Biochemistry and Clinical Biochemistry at the Faculty of Medicine, Faculty of Dentistry and the Faculty of Natural Sciences and Mathematics in Skopje, since 1993, first as an assistant, then as an associate professor from 2003, a full professor from 2008 and a professor emeritus from 2013.
Between 2006 and 2009 she was appointed ECTS coordinator for first- and second-year medical students, and from 2005 to 2010 she served as coordinator of the Biochemistry course for students at the Faculty of Dentistry. With the introduction of the ECTS system, she actively participated in teaching the subjects: Medical Chemistry, Biochemistry 1 and Biochemistry 2, and Clinical Biochemistry at the Faculty of Medicine, Chemistry and Biochemistry for the Faculty of Dentistry, Clinical Biochemistry for the Faculty of Science, as well as Biochemistry and Diagnostic Methods for the three-year professional studies at the Faculty of Medicine. Since the 2011/2012 academic year, she has been involved in teaching for doctoral studies within the School of Doctoral Studies at the University 'St. Cyril and Methodius' in Skopje, in the field of basic medicine, for the subject Methods and Characteristics of Basic Research, and since the 2021/2022 academic year, she has also been organising the course Methods in Scientific Research.
He is the author of two textbooks and seven student study guides.
She has been the mentor for 4 PhD students and 3 current PhD candidates, as well as for 27 Master's theses. She is the mentor for two specialist theses and for several specialist trainees in medical biochemistry. She has served on 32 committees for the defence of bachelor's theses, as well as for the evaluation and defence of numerous master's theses and doctoral dissertations. She has reviewed 5 university textbooks and 4 teaching aids.
Prof. Dr Sonja Topuzovska organises, coordinates and participates in the scientific research activities of the Department of Medical and Experimental Biochemistry, which have resulted in over 150 scientific papers published in national and international scientific journals and presented at congresses at home and abroad.
She participated as a researcher in two international projects and was the leader of a national scientific project. She is a participant in eight national scientific projects.
In 1988 she was on a professional placement at the South West Foundation for Biomedical Research laboratory in San Antonio, Texas, USA, and in 1994 she was at the central clinical laboratory of Birmingham Hospital in Birmingham, England.
Prof. Dr Sonja Topuzovska is a member of the Macedonian Medical Society, the Medical Chamber of Macedonia, the Association of Doctors Specialising in Medical Biochemistry of Macedonia, the Balkan Federation of Clinical Laboratory (BCLF) and the International Federation for Clinical Chemistry (IFCC). She is the Vice-President of the FEBS Society for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology.
They are a member of the editorial board of the Faculty of Medicine's academic journal, the Academic Medical Journal, and a reviewer of scientific papers for national journals: Physioacta and Prilozi, as well as for international journals: Journal of Atherosclerosis and Thrombosis and QJM: An International Journal of Medicine. He is the technical editor of the translation of the book: 'General, Organic and Biochemistry' by Catherine Deniston, Joseph Topping and Robert Caret.
A significant part of Professor Dr Sonja Topuzovska's daily work is the specialised laboratory activity of the Institute of Biochemistry. She completed her specialisation in medical biochemistry in 1995.
Her interest is focused on electrophoretic methods for the separation of biomolecules, and her professional and scientific education has been directed in this area, resulting in the introduction of two new methods: the method for electrophoretic separation and quantification of creatine kinase isoenzymes, as well as techniques for gradient gel casting for the separation of LDL and HDL subclasses.
He is the recipient of a Certificate of Merit in Health Care from the Macedonian Medical Society in 2003, A Diploma for Achievements from the Macedonian Medical Association in 2008 and the highest recognition for results achieved in the profession, healthcare and work – the 'Trifun Panovski' Charter from the Macedonian Medical Association in 2019.
She was a member of the Commission for the professional examination for expert witnesses in biochemistry at the Ministry of Justice of the Republic of Macedonia and of the Commission at the Ministry of Health for determining the conditions in healthcare institutions for obtaining authorisation to conduct specialist training.
From April 2009 to September 2016, Professor Dr Sonja Topuzovska served as Pro-Dean for Teaching and was a member of the Dean's Council of the Faculty of Medicine. From 2008 to the present, she has been a member and chair of several committees and bodies of the Faculty of Medicine, namely: the Ethics Committee for Human Research, Scientific Board, Chair of the Teaching Board, Personnel Board and Admissions Commission for student enrolment, as well as several other committees and bodies of the Faculty, during which she also participated in the drafting of the Medical Faculty's acts.
From 2016 to 2023, she served two terms as Dean of the Faculty of Medicine in Skopje. During her seven-year tenure, she contributed significantly to the development and advancement of the Faculty's teaching, research, healthcare, and applied activities. Nine new study programmes were accredited, a new journal (Academic Medical Journal) was established, 34 research projects were funded and completed and 32 are currently underway, the contractual fee with the Health Insurance Fund was significantly increased, and several new health services were introduced. State-of-the-art equipment has been acquired for the laboratories, investments have been made in expanding the workspace and laboratory space (3000 m2), and conditions for employees have been improved.
Blvd. "Goce Delchev" no. 9, 1000 Skopje, Republic of North Macedonia
ukim@ukim.edu.mk
3293-293
