I obtained my medical degree in Sofia, Bulgaria in 2007 and a specialty in medical microbiology at the Medical University of Sofia in 2012. I have also a second master’s degree in public health obtained at the same university in 2013. During my residency in microbiology, I worked as teaching assistant, teaching medical microbiology to students in medicine, pharmacy and dentistry.
Between 2013 and 2022, I worked in the Laboratory of Medical Microbiology at the University of Antwerp, Belgium, as a full-time researcher in the COMBACTE project, an EU-funded initiative which aimed to develop clinical and laboratory network for clinical trials of anti-invectives in Europe. I was involved in several projects including studies on development of new antibiotics against carbapenem-resistant Gram-negative pathogens.
I obtained my PhD degree “Building a European laboratory network to combat bacterial resistance by boosting the clinical development of anti-infectives” at the University of Antwerp in July 2021. In February 2022, I joined Laboratoire national de santé in Luxembourg (LNS), and am currently head of unit Research, Innovation and Outreach within the Department of microbiology at LNS.
Throughout my career path, I had several specializations and short-term research stays in France (National reference laboratory for AMR), Spain (Hospital Clinic, Barcelona) and the United Kingdom (Public Health England). My professional interests are in the field of antimicrobial resistance, antibiotic stewardship and clinical trials on new anti-infectives. I am a co-author of 31 peer-reviewed publications.