Introduction

Prof. Bojana Zvan, MD, PhD, “primarius”, senior advisor, FESO, neurologist, full-time professor at the Medical Faculty University of Ljubljana, Slovenia, Co-creator of the vascular neurology in Slovenia and the author of telestroke network – TeleKap 

She completed her medical studies at the Medical Faculty of the University of Ljubljana, Slovenia (MF UL), acquired her specialty in neurology, finished her postgraduate master’s study in clinical neuroscience at the University Zagreb, Croatia, and completed her doctoral dissertation at MF UL. Now she is a full-time professor at MF UL. 

The Slovenian Medical Association awarded her the title “primaries” and in the year 2009 the title senior advisor of the Ministry of Health of the Republic of Slovenia. In the same year, she had also been awarded the title “Female scientist of the year” in Slovenia.

Prof. Zvan introduced neurosonological methods, especially color-Doppler of extra- and intracranial arteries, at the University Medical Center Ljubljana (UMCL), where she is employed. Together with her team she began studying cerebrovascular reactivity and the autonomic nervous system using transcranial Doppler sonography (TCD) in physiological and pathological conditions. In 2002, she worked together with a colleague, an interventional radiologist, and introduced a new revolutionary endovascular method in Slovenia – carotid angioplasty with stenting.  She also established a stroke unit at UMCL and at two other hospitals in Slovenia (UMC Maribor and General hospital Celje). She is the founder of the national stroke network – TeleKap, which is used for the treatment of stroke patients in remote places of the country with the help of telemedicine. 

She has coordinated and participated in several multicenter clinical trials (PERFORM, PROMPT, Top-Slo-05, ICSS, MAGELLAN, QUICK, RESPECT-ESUS and the PERFORMANCE).
Since 2007 she is the president of the National Stroke Society and the vice president of the National Headache Society. She is the head of the Slovenian Neurosonology School and the professional head of the Society for the Prevention of Cerebral and Vascular Disorders. She is also the cofounder of the Migraine Association. She is also a member of the European Committee for Telemedicine, a fellow of the European Stroke Organization (ESO) and a fellow of the Controversies in Neurology (CONy).