Sleep Beyond Boundaries Conference - 13 - 15 June 2025, Plovdiv Bulgaria
Sleep Beyond Boundaries
Exploring the Science of Sleep
13-15 June 2025, Plovdiv, Bulgaria
The event is in ENGLISH. AI Translation is planned to be provided.
About the event
„Sleep Beyond Boundaries“ is the first event of its kind in Bulgaria, focusing on sleep medicine. It offers a unique opportunity to explore the latest developments in sleep science and its impact on various medical fields. This event is essential for professionals in sleep medicine and also for cardiologists, pulmonologists, endocrinologists, neurologists, psychiatrists, pediatricians, and other health specialists looking to deepen their knowledge in this key area.
Besides its educational benefits, „Sleep Beyond Boundaries“ serves as a networking platform, bringing together experts and leading European specialists in sleep science. Participate in engaging discussions and meet experts during informative lectures.
The event is part of the „Sleep Beyond Boundaries“ project by the Assembly of the National Sleep Societies under the European Sleep Research Society (ESRS), which focuses on improving sleep knowledge and practices where it is most needed. The Medical University of Plovdiv is honored to host this significant event, marking its 80th anniversary as a leader in medical education in Bulgaria.
Don’t miss this chance to join the sleep medicine community in Plovdiv from June 13-15, 2025!
Main Speakers
Dr. Lyudmila Korostovtseva, MD, PhD
Cardiologist, Sleep Specialist
Dr. Lyudmila Korostovtseva, MD, PhD, is a Cardiologist and Sleep Specialist (Expert in Sleep Medicine, ESRS Examination 2014) at the Almazov National Medical Research Centre in St Petersburg, Russia, where she serves as a Senior Researcher at the Sleep Lab, Hypertension Department. Her primary research interests lie in the intersection of sleep disorders and cardiovascular health. Dr. Korostovtseva is an Advisory member of the Assembly of National Sleep Societies and has been an active member of the European Sleep Research Society (ESRS) since 2013, currently serving as Chair of the Digital and Communication Committee (since 2020).
Assoc. prof. dr. Barbara Gnidovec Stražišar
Pediatrician, Child Neurologist
Assoc. prof. dr. Barbara Gnidovec Stražišar is a board-certified pediatrician, child neurologist, and sleep medicine expert with over 20 years of experience working with children and adolescents with sleep disorders. Dr. Gnidovec Stražišar is the acting president of the Slovenian Sleep Society and head of the Paediatric Department at General Hospital Celje. Her leadership roles include: former Chair of the Executive Committee of the Assembly of National Sleep Societies (ANSS), current Board Director of IPSA, and current Chair of the Sleep Medicine Committee of the ESRS (European Sleep Research Society).
Prof. Morten Engstrøm, MD, PhD
Clinical Neurophysiologist
Dr. Morten Engstrøm, MD, PhD, is a specialist in clinical neurophysiology working at St. Olavs hospital and an associate professor at the Norwegian University of Science and Technology in Trondheim. He was the president of the Norwegian Society for Sleep Medicine from 2016 to 2024 and has been involved in various types of research projects, but mostly about the relationship between sleep and headache. His work has significantly advanced our understanding of the complex interplay between sleep and neurological conditions, especially their bidirectional links, and associated comorbid sleep disorders.
Prof. Ysbrand D van der Werf
Professor of Functional Neuroanatomy
Dr. Ysbrand D van der Werf studies cognition in neurological/psychiatric disorders (Parkinson’s, epilepsy, MS, impulse-control), sleep, and memory. He established research teams at two institutions, authored ~150 peer-reviewed papers (h-factor: 58), and edited books. A member of The Young Academy, he led ENIGMA-Parkinson’s, initiated the Hypersomnia Imaging consortium, and, reflecting his significant contributions, became a Full Professor in 2018, and Head of Anatomy and Neurosciences at Amsterdam UMC in 2022.
Assoc. Prof. Kiril Terziyski
Pathophysiologist, Certified Somnologis
Assoc. Prof. Kiril Terziyski is a pathophysiologist and certified somnologist with more than 15 years of experience in the field of sleep medicine. He is the current President of the Bulgarian Society of Somnology and a member of the EC of the ANSS, demonstrating his leadership within the European sleep community. His main scientific interests are in the areas of Cheyne-Stokes Respiration, insomnia and restless legs syndrome, with a particular focus on improving diagnostic and management strategies to enhance patient quality of life.
Dr. Petar Chipev
Pulmonologist, Sleep Specialist
Dr. Petar Chipev is a pulmonologist specializing in respiratory physiology, pathophysiology, pulmonary function testing, sleep-related breathing disorders, and non-invasive ventilation. He passed the HERMES exam (2019) and the ESRS sleep medicine exam (2015). Dr. Chipev runs a private Sleep Medicine Centre in Sofia, focusing on sleep-related breathing disorders, central hypersomnolence disorders, and pediatric sleep disorders. His current research explores ambulatory diagnostics for obstructive sleep apnea and narcolepsy. He's a member of the Bulgarian Society of Somnology, ESRS, WSS, and EU-NN.
Assoc. Prof. Oana Deleanu
Pneumologist, Somnologist
Dr Oana-Claudia Deleanu is a pneumologist and certified somnologist. She is former president of the Romanian Sleep Society, former member of the EC of the ANSS and currently a member of the Digital and Communication Committee of the ESRS and vice-chair of the Sleep Medicine Committee of the ESRS. Her main scientific work is dedicated to the topics of Obstructive and Central Sleep apnea, and the hypoxic burden and cardiovascular consequences in these diseases. She is a lecturer at the University of Medicine and Pharmacy in Bucharest.
Prof. Pitt Young
Neurogeneticist, Sleep Medicine Specialist
Prof. Peter (Pitt) Young is a neurologist, neurogeneticist, and sleep medicine specialist. He was a full professor and led the Institute for Sleep Medicine and Neuromuscular Diseases at Münster University Hospital. Currently, he's Medical Director of Neurology at Medical Park Bad Feilnbach Reithofpark, specializing in neurological rehabilitation, sleep disorders, and neuromuscular diseases. A past President of the DGSM, he's active in the DGN and ESRS. His research addresses sleep disturbances in neurological conditions and sleep-respiratory interactions.
Prof. Iliana Pacheva
Pediatrics and child neurology
Prof. Pacheva is a specialist in pediatrics and pediatric neurology, graduated in Medicine from the Medical University – Plovdiv, where she also obtained her PhD ('Doctor' educational and scientific degree). She subsequently obtained the academic titles 'Associate Professor' and 'Professor' (2022). She is a member of the Bulgarian Pediatric Association; the Society of Pediatric Neurology, Psychiatry and Developmental Psychology; the European Paediatric Neurology Society; the International Headache Society and is on the editorial board of the Journal of Autism and Epilepsy.
Prof. Samson Khachatryan
Neurologist and sleep medicine specialist
Dr. Samson Khachatryan, MD, PhD, is a neurologist and sleep clinician, chairing Neurology/Neurosurgery at the Armenian National Institute of Health and serving as Medical Director at “Somnus” Clinic. He consults for the Armenian MoH, founded/presides over the Armenian Sleep Disorders Association, and is on the ESRS Assembly Nat. Sleep Societies Exec. Committee. Trained internationally, his research focuses on sleep disorders, epilepsy, and RLS.
Dr. Shruthi Konda
Consultant Respiratory Physician
Dr. Konda, a Consultant Respiratory Physician at Royal Brompton Hospital, specializes in sleep disorders and respiratory failure due to lung and neuromuscular diseases. She is the Linacre Fellow at the Royal College of Physicians (RCP), supporting tutors nationally. She is the Educational Lead for the British Sleep Society (BSS) and an elected member of the ANSS Executive Committee (part of ESRS). Dr. Konda is also an MRCP PACES examiner and established a respiratory high dependency unit.
Prof. Sarah Hartley
Sleep Physician
Dr. Sarah Hartley is a sleep physician at Raymond Poincaré Hospital near Paris, specializing in rare hypersomnias and neurological disorders. She is also Medical Director of Réseau Morphée, a government-funded organization improving sleep disorder management. Dr. Hartley serves as Deputy Secretary of the French national sleep society, is a member of the ESRS Sleep Medicine Committee, and is Secretary of the ANSS. Her research includes vagal nerve stimulation for RLS and CBT for insomnia.
Prof. Dr. Gulcin Benbir Senel
Neurologist, Sleep Expert
Prof. Dr. Gulcin Benbir Senel is a Neurologist and Sleep Expert from Turkey. She possesses extensive clinical expertise in Narcolepsy, REM Sleep Behavior Disorder, and Restless Legs Syndrome. With many years dedicated to sleep medicine, her work on neurological and physiological aspects aims to strengthen region-specific interventions, particularly within the Middle East and Europe. Dr Senel aims to adapt research and clinical practice to the needs of these populations.
Prof. Paschalis Steiropoulos, MD. PhD
Professor of Pneumonology
Dr. Paschalis Steiropoulos, MD, PhD, is a Professor of Pneumonology and Head of the Pneumonology Department at the University General Hospital of Alexandroupolis, Greece. He trained in Sleep Medicine in Brussels and Milan. He directs the MSc program "Sleep Medicine" at Democritus University of Thrace and is Vice President of the Hellenic Society of Hypnology. This combines his clinical and academic leadership roles.
register here
13-15 June 2025, Plovdiv, Bulgaria
The event is in ENGLISH. AI Translation is planned to be provided.
Event Schedule
Friday, June 13
09:00-13:00 Registrations
13:15 - 13:30 OPENING TALKS
Welcome from Bulgarian Society of Somnology
Speaker: Dr. Kiril Terziyski (BG)
Welcome from ANSS President
Speaker: Dr. Pitt Young
13:30 - 15:30 SLEEP THE BASICS
Chair persons: Dr. Ysbrand van der Werf (NR), Dr. Petar Chipev (BG)
13:30 Building the palace of sleep
Speaker: Dr. Kiril Terziyski (BG)
14:00 Sleep and hormones
Speaker: Dr. Morten Engstrom (NR)
14:30 The sleeping brain and heart
Speaker: Dr. Ysbrand van der Werf (NL)
15:00 How do we measure sleep?
Speaker: Dr. Morten Engstrom (NR)
15:30 Coffee Break
16:00 - 18:30 CLOSED SESSION
Chair persons: Ysbrand van der Werf (Netherlands), Petar Chipev (Bulgaria)
16:00 ANSS EC Meeting
Speaker: All EC
Saturday, June 14
08:00-09:00 Registrations
09:00 - 10:30 SLEEP AND PULMONOLOGY
Chair persons: Oana Deleanu (RO)
09:00 Obstructive sleep apnea beyond the AHI.
Speaker: Dr. Oana Deleanu (RO)
09:30 Hypoventilation and non-invasive ventilation in various conditions
Speaker: Dr. Pitt Young (GR)
10:00 Overlap Syndromes
Speaker: Dr. Petar Chipev (BG)
10:30 Coffee Break
10:45 - 12:15 SLEEP AND PEDIATRICS
Chair persons: Dr. Barbara Strazisar (SL), Prof. Iliyana Pacheva (BG)
10:45 Sleep ontogeny and sleep disorders in children and adolescents
Speaker: Dr. Barbara Strazisar (SL)
11:30 Living with narcolepsy
Bulgarian Association of the Patients with Narcolepsy
11:40 Narcolepsy in Bulgaria
Speaker: Dr. Petar Chipev (BG)
12:00 Sleep and autism
Speaker: Prof. Iliyana Pacheva (BG)
12:15 Lunch break
13:15 - 14:45 SLEEP AND CARDIOLOGY AND ENDOCRINOLOGY
Chair persons: Dr. Oana Deleanu (RO), Dr. Todor Georgiev (BG)
13:15 Cheyne-Stokes Respiration. It is not all OSA!
Speaker: Dr. Kiril Terziyski (BG)
13:45 RLS and PLMS in patients with cardiac diseases – should we treat it, when and how?
Speaker: Dr. Lyudmila Korostovtseva (RU)
14:15 Cardiovascular and Endocrine complications of OSA
Speaker: Dr. Shruthi Konda (ENG)
14:15 Coffee Break
14:45 - 16:30 SLEEP DISORDERS AND NEUROLOGY
Chair persons: Dr. Filip Aleksiev (BG)
14:45 Do we know what Insomnia is?
Speaker: Dr. Sarah Hartley (FR)
15:15 CBT-I treatment for Insomnia – when drugs are not needed.
Speaker: Dr. Ysbrand van der Werf (NL)
15:45 NREM Parasomnias, RBD and Epilepsy – how strange sleep may be?
Speaker: Dr. Samson Khachatryan (AR)
16:15 Coffee Break
16:30 - 17:00 SLEEP DISORDERS
16:30 General Discussion on Sleep
All Speakers
Sunday, June 15
08:00-09:00 Registrations
09:00 - 10:30 Balkan Association of Sleep Societies
Joint Session of the Balkan Association of Sleep Societies (BASS) – PART I
Speaker: Dr. Kiril Terziyski (BG)
Speaker: Dr. Paschalis Steiropoulos (GR)
Speaker: Dr. Gülçin Şenel (TR)
10:30 - 11:30 INDUSTRY
CPAP, APAP, BPAP
Speaker: ResMed (BG)
11:30 - 13:00 Joint Session of the Balkan Association of Sleep Societies (BASS) – PART II
Speaker: Balkan Association of Sleep Societies Representatives
13:00 - 13:30 CLOSING SESSION
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