1985-1990: M.Sc. at the Faculty of Biology of the Sofia University “St. Kliment Ohridski”, subject: Biology - Botany; 1991-1996: Assist. Professor in the Department of Botany, Faculty of Biology of the Sofia University “St. Kliment Ohridski”; 1996-1999: PhD Thesis at the Faculty of Biology of the Sofia University “St. Kliment Ohridski”, title of thesis "Biosystematic study on genus Centaurea in Bulgaria - Sects Cyanus and Lepteranthus"; 1999-2007: Researcher in the Institute of Botany, Bulgarian Academy of Sciences and Curator of the Herbarium (SOM); 2007-2014: Assoc. Professor in the Institute of Botany and then in the Institute of Biodiversity and Ecosystem Research, Bulgarian Academy of Sciences; 2014-present: Professor in the Institute of Biodiversity and Ecosystem Research, Bulgarian Academy of Sciences; 2010-present : Head of the Department of Plant and Fungal Diversity and Resources,Institute of Biodiversity and Ecosystem Research, Bulgarian Academy of Sciences (former Institute of Botany).

Diversity of plants and habitats; floristic investigation; taxonomy of vascular plants; Centaurea, Cardueae, Compositae; molecular approaches; endemic and rare plants; plant and habitat conservation; protected areas; monitoring of plants and habitats; mapping and assessment of plant populations, habitats and ecosystems and their services.