Vice-President and Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Research and Impact)

Professor Krasimira Tsaneva-Atanasova is Vice-President and Deputy Vice-Chancellor for Research and Impact (appointed on 1 August 2023) and Professor of Mathematics for Healthcare.

Professor Tsaneva-Atanasova's research addresses open questions in Health and Life Sciences by means of mathematical modelling and analysis including advanced data analytics. The ultimate goal is to be able to propose novel applications of mathematics to enable the development of quantitative methods for healthcare and healthcare technologies. Her current and future research plans predominantly focus on projects that could make a difference to experimental scientists and clinicians, and potentially society through the applications of mathematics for personalised prediction and decision in prevention, diagnosis or treatment of health related conditions.

Professor Tsaneva-Atanasova earned her undergraduate and MSc degrees in mathematics at the University of Plovdiv, Bulgaria from 1991 until 1996. In 2001 she started a PhD in applied mathematics at the University of Auckland, New Zealand. After completing her PhD in 2004 she held postdoctoral fellow positions at the Laboratory of Biological Modelling, National Institutes of Health, USA and at the Department of Mathematics and the Department of Biology at Ecole Normale Superieure in Paris, France. In 2007 she joined the Department of Engineering Mathematics at the University of Bristol as a lecturer and was promoted to a Reader in Applied Mathematics in 2012. She joined the University of Exeter (UoE) in 2013 as an Associate Professor and was promoted to Professor of Mathematics for Healthcare in 2015. She has held a number of leadership roles at UoE being the Associate Dean for Global in the College of Engineering, Mathematics and Physical Sciences from Aug 2018 - July 2022 and the Associate Pro-Vice Chancellor for Research and Impact in the Faculty of Environment, Science and Economy (2022-2023).

As Vice-President and Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Research and Impact), Professor Tsaneva-Atanasova oversees a total research portfolio of over £500 million and leads the research and impact strategy for the University.  Her overarching responsibilities include our preparation and submission for the Research Excellence Framework in 2029; interdisciplinary institutes, networks and centres; strategic leadership of our Doctoral College, the University Ethics Committee and the Research and Impact Executive Committee; and ensuring our research is utilised and impacts positively on the wider world.   Professor Tsaneva-Atanasova represents the University externally via a number of research-related groups including GW4, our regional alliance of the Universities of Bristol, Bath, Cardiff and Exeter.