Curriculum vitae Date and place of birth: 14 October 1957, Sofia Education and degrees 1982: MSc, Faculty of Biology, St Kliment Okhridski University of Sofia; thesis: Marine blue-green algae from Northern and Central parts of the Bulgarian Black Sea coast, supervisor Dr S. Draganov 1991: PhD, Institute of Parasitology, BAS; thesis: Cestodes of the family Dilepididae from passeriform birds in Bulgaria: faunistic, morphological and taxonomic studies, supervisor Dr T. Genov 2007: DSc, Central Laboratory of General Ecology, BAS; thesis: Taxonomy and phylogeny of the cestode superfamily Paruterinoidea (Cyclophyllidea) Employment 1982-1989: Biologist, Central Laboratory of Helminthology, BAS 1989-1995: Research Fellow, Institute of Parasitology, BAS 1995-1996: Research Fellow, Institute of Ecology, BAS 1996-2009: Associate Professor, Central Laboratory of General Ecology, BAS (CLGE-BAS) 1996-1999: Scientific Secretary of CLGE-BAS (Deputy Director responsible for research projects and PhD programmes) Temporary position (July 2004 - July 2006): Researcher, Parasitology Division, Department of Zoology, Natural History Museum, London, UK (on leave from CLGE-BAS) 2002-present: Leader, Research Group Parasite Biodiversity and Ecology of Parasite Communities 2006-2010: Head, Department of Biodiversity, CLGE-BAS 2009-present: Professor 2010-present: Head, Department of Animal Diversity and Resources, Institute of Biodiversity and Ecosystem Research, Bulgarian Academy of Sciences Foreign Visits 1987: One-month specialisation, Parasitic Worms Division, The Natural History Museum, London. Studies on dilepidid and paruterinid cestodes. Supervisor: Dr D.I. Gibson 1993: Three-months specialisation, Parasitic Worms Division, The Natural History Museum, London. Studies on paruterinid cestodes. Supervisor: Dr D.I. Gibson 2004-2006: Temporary research position, Parasitic Worms Division, The Natural History Museum, London. Studies on cyclophyllidean cestodes 1984-2012: Short-term visits for joint studies in cestode systematics to: Department of Zoology, Hungarian Natural History Museum, Budapest Institute of Zoology, National Academy of Sciences of the Ukraine, Kiev Department of Zoology, The Natural History Museum, London Department of Invertebrates, The Natural History Museum, Geneva Department of Zoology, Agricultural University, Brno, Czech Republic Naturkunde Museum, Humboldt Universität, Berlin Biological Station of the Donana Biosphere Reserve (CSIC), Seville Institute of Parasitology, Academy of Sciences of the Czech Republic, Ceske Budejovice Instituto de Acuicultura Torre de la Sal (CSIC), Ribera de Cabanes (Castellon) H.W. Manter Laboratory of Parasitology, University of Nebraska State Museum, Lincoln (Nebraska) Laboratory of Parasitology, Institute of Animal Systematics and Ecology (Siberian Branch, Russian Academy of Sciences), Novosibirsk Department of Evolutionary Biology and Ecology, University of Connecticut, Storrs Field Research Experience Member of expeditions for parasitological field studies in Bulgaria (1983-2012), Russia (Siberia, 2002), Spain (2004-2010), Costa Rica (2004, 2005, 2007), Chilean Patagonia (2008), Gabon (2009), Malaysia (2010), Iran (Hormozgan Province, 2010), China (Gansu Province, 2011), Brazil (Atlantic Rain Forests, 2011), Ethiopia (2012), Madagascar (2013), Vietnam (2014) (link to photogallery) Professional Achievements and Awards Editorial Board, Folia Parasitologica (1997-present) (link) Editorial Board, Systematic Parasitology (1998-present) (link) Editorial Board, Acta Parasitologica (2002-present) (link) Editorial Board, Zoology and Ecology (former Acta Zoologica Lituanica) (2005-present) (link) Editorial Board, ZooKeys (2008-present) (link) Editorial Board, Journal of Parasitology Research (2008-present) (link) Advisory Board, Scientia Parasitologica (2010-present) (link) Editorial Board, Vestnik Zoologii (2010-present) (link) Research Associate, Department of Life Sciences, Natural History Museum, London (2006-present) (link) Member of Bulgarian Society for Parasitology (since 1984), Member of its Executive Board (1999-2007), President (2011-present) Co-organiser, Third International Workshop for Systematic Zoology of Tapeworms, Sofia, 1999 Corresponding Member, Natural History Museum of Geneva, Switzerland (awarded by the Administrative Council of the City of Geneva, October 2009)(link) Evaluator of project proposals, Programme CAPACITIES - Regional Potential, EU FP7 (2011) Students Co-supervisor of Gergana P. Vasileva, PhD, 1996-1999 (link) Co-supervisor of Zlatka M. Dimitrova (Thracian University, Stara Zagora), PhD, 1997-1999 (link) Supervisor of Dian M. Georgiev (Thracian University, Stara Zagora), PhD, 2000-2003 (link) Supervisor of Pavel N. Nikolov, PhD, 2000-2004 (link) Supervisor of Yasen Mutafchiev, PhD, 2006-2008 (link) Co-supervisor of Aneta Yoneva, PhD, 2007-2009 (link) Co-supervisor of Anelia Bobeva, 2011-2014 (link) Co-supervisor of Martin Marinov, 2011-2014 (link) Co-supervisor of Borislav Stoyanov, 2012-2016 (link) Co-supervisor of Natalia da Mata Luchetti (Universidade de São Paulo, Instituto de Biociências), 2012-2017 (link) Co-supervisor of Boyko Neov, 2012-2016 (link) Co-supervisor of Yana Dimitrova, 2013-2016 (link) Co-supervisor of Margarita Marinova (Thracian University, Stara Zagora), 2013-2016 (link) Teaching 1996/1997; 1997/1998; 1998/1999: Zoology, Agricultural Faculty, Slavic University, Sofia 1999/2000: Biological Resources Conservation, Faculty of Biology, St. Kliment Okhridsky University of Sofia 2002-2004, 2007: Biodiversity and Biological Resources, Agrarian University, Plovdiv 2003-2004, 2007-2010: Biodiversity Conservation, Agrarian University, Plovdiv 2007-2014: Introduction in Scientific Research (Biological Sciences), Centre for Education, Bulgarian Academy of Sciences (course for PhD students) 2008-2014: Principles of Taxonomy and Phylogeny, Centre for Education, Bulgarian Academy of Sciences (course for PhD students, together with P. Nikolov) 2008-2014: Principles of Taxonomy, Faculty of Biology, St. Kliment Ohridski University of Sofia (course for MSc students, together with P. Nikolov) 2013-2014: Biodiversity Conservation, Centre for Education, Bulgarian Academy of Sciences (course for PhD students, together with S. Nikolov)  

 Main Areas of Research Systematics of cyclophyllidean cestodes (Paruterinidae, Dilepididae, Metadilepididae, Hymenolepididae, Anoplocephalidae) Evolution of host-parasite associations Cestode life cycles Ecological consequences of parasitism for populations and ecosystems