Katerina Lazarova has been a research scientist at the Institute of Optical Materials and Technologies „Acad. J. Malinowski” for the last 12 years. In 2013 she began her doctorate in the field of photonic crystals and optical sensors based on zeolites and porous materials. In 2016 she became a chief assistant at the IOMT-BAS and from 2019 to 2021 was a postdoctoral fellow with a scholarship in the same field. Currently Dr. Lazarova is Associate professor in Laboratory "Composite and nanostructured materials" working with polymer materials for sensing applications. Author of nearly 50 articles, with awards for presentations in scientific forums and participation in numerous scientific projects in collaboration with other scientific organizations.