Dijana Plaseska-Karanfilska graduated from the Faculty of Medicine in Skopje, Republic of Macedonia, and earned her PhD from the Medical Faculty of Limburg University in Maastricht, the Netherlands. She currently serves as Head of the Research Centre for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology "Georgi D. Efremov" at the Macedonian Academy of Sciences and Arts, Skopje.

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She has made significant contributions to the molecular characterization of various monogenic diseases in Macedonia and has successfully translated numerous molecular genetic tests into clinical practice. She has coordinated several research projects, including an infrastructural project funded by the European Commission, which has enhanced national research capacities in genomics and proteomics. Her research interests focus on reproductive genetics, breast cancer, and rare diseases. She has published 190 papers in peer-reviewed journals and has delivered over 250 presentations at scientific events.

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Dijana Plaseska-Karanfilska is a member of Academia Europaea and a Corresponding Member of the Macedonian Academy of Sciences and Arts. She is the Editor of the Balkan Journal of Medical Genetics and Section Editor of the EuroBiotech Journal. Additionally, she serves as President of the Macedonian Society of Medical Genetics and the Macedonian Association of Medical Editors, Coordinator of the Macedonian ORPHANET team, Macedonia’s Coordinator in the European Biotechnology Thematic Network Association, and Member of the Advisory Board for Rare Diseases at the Ministry of Health, Republic of North Macedonia.