Korina Solomonova

This is a photo of me, taken in Sofia at the beginning of the 1970s. By profession I?m a microbiologist and immunologist. In January 1951 I started working in the Infectious and Parasitic Diseases Institute, where I was assigned to the laboratory doing research on tetanus. Later I became head of that laboratory. I became a research associate of second degree, and in 1973 a research associate of first degree, which is equivalent to the professor's degree. From 1973 until 1990 I worked in the institute as head of the laboratory and head of the department for vaccines and prophylactics, which included 1,500 people, working on all kinds of vaccines. I also headed the production department of the institute. In my life I?m most proud of my personal achievement in the field of medicine. I was the first in Bulgaria to introduce active immunization against tetanus and whooping-cough; furthermore I discovered that old people can develop immunity against tetanus. I worked a lot in the institute and collected materials from around the world. I was also advisor for the Bulgarian Health Ministry. Those were good years, during which I worked a lot, but I was also much respected.