Assoc. Prof. Radka Vladkova, PhD | Curriculum Vitae

Contacts | CV | Publications

Education

  • 1990 – PhD in Biological Sciences, BAS, Central Laboratory of Biophysics. PhD Thesis title “Influence of local environment on the spectral characteristics of chlorophylls”
  • 1980 – M.S. in Atomic Physics, Sofia University “St. Kliment Ohridski”, Faculty of Physics. M.S. Thesis title “Volume holographic diffraction gratings”

Positions

  • 2015–current: Associate Professor in Biophysics, Institute of Biophysics and Biomedical Engineering-BAS
  • 2010–2015: Senior Assistant Professor, Institute of Biophysics and Biomedical Engineering-BAS
  • 1994-2010: Research Associate, Institute of Biophysics-BAS
  • 1981-1994: PhD student and Research associate, Central Laboratory of Biophysics-BAS

Main areas of research

  • Biophysics
  • Bioenergetics
  • Molecular spectroscopy
  • Biophysical chemistry
  • Structural biology
  • Plant biology

Field of research

Chlorophyll containing model and native systems; Specific and nonspecific intermolecular interactions; Hydrogen bonds; Solvent effects on photophysical characteristics of solutes; Mechanism of Chlorophyll a aggregation; High-energy selective laser spectroscopy (Hole-burning, Site-Selection Spectroscopy), ns laser pulse spectroscopy and time-resolved emission spectroscopy (TRES); Fluorescent probes; Lipid phase transitions and non-lamellar phases; Photosynthetic energy conversion and electron transport; Pulse-Amplitude-Modulated (PAM) Chlorophyll fluorescence; Linear and alternative (cyclic and pseudo-cyclic) electron transport flows in oxygenic photosynthesis; Mehler and Mehler-like (FLV-mediated) reactions; Regulation of oxygenic photosynthesis; Short-term adaptive mechanisms of oxygenic photosynthesis; Kinetics and mechanism of state transitions; Hydrophobic mismatch; Role of Chlorophyll a in cytochrome b6f complex; Biomolecular structure and dynamics; X-ray crystal structure analyses of cytochromes b6f and bc1, and photosynthetic pigment-protein complexes; Abiotic stress in plants; Role of stress-induced nitric oxide and brassinosteroids for regulation of electron transport; Effect of heavy metals and UV-B radiation; Biosensors. Cyanobacteria, green algae and higher plants (gymnosperms and angiosperms).

Specializations and research abroad

  • 2019: Institute of Plant Biology, Biological Research Center, Szeged, Hungary – 4 weeks
  • 2018: Institute of Plant Biology, Biological Research Center, Szeged, Hungary – 2 weeks
  • 2016: Institute of Plant Biology, Biological Research Center, Szeged, Hungary – 2 weeks
  • 2015: Kuyshu University, Fukuoka, Japan – 6 months
  • 2014: Institute of Plant Biology, Biological Research Center, Szeged, Hungary – 2 weeks
  • 2009: Institute of Plant Biology, Biological Research Center, Szeged, Hungary – 2 weeks
  • 1998–2003: Max-Born Institute of Nonlinear Optics and Short-Pulse Spectroscopy, Berlin, Germany – average 6 x 2 months
  • 1987: Institute of Soil Science and Photosynthesis, Pushchino, Russia – 1 month
  • 1987: Institute of Physics, Tartu, Estonia – 2 months

Scientific activity

(long interruptions because of illnesses)

  • 28 publications incl. 5 individual papers, PhD thesis and one patent;
  • > 220 citations (all abroad, incl. Dissertations, ~ 80 from all are citations of two individual papers);
  • H-index 6 (Web of Science)
  • Project leader from BG side of 1 international (BMBF BGR 99/008 “Lipid-chlorophyll interactions”, funded by German side), 1 BAS-HAS bilateral project, and 3 national projects; Investigator in 7 international and 7 national projects;
  • Supervisor of 1 M.S., 1 B.S. Diploma theses, Mentor of 1 B.S. student

Awards and personal grants

  • Awarded Elsevier Reviewer Recognition Certificate from the Editors of BBA-BIOENERGETICS, 2016
  • Awarded JSPS (Japan Society for the Promotion of Science) Long-term Invitation Fellowship for Overseas Researchers in Japan, 2015 for six months.
  • Selected and included with presentation in: Agriculture and Food Science Researcher Biographical Sketches and Research Summaries (2013) H. J. Escobedo, S. M. Madrigal (Eds.), Radka Vladkova, Ch. 51, pp. 197-198. Nova Science Publishers, Inc. NY
  • One of the invitation only included scientists with presentation in the Springer series of 7 books “Who’s Who in Fluorescence 2003”… “Who’s Who in Fluorescence 2009”, C. D. Geddes, J. R. Lakowicz (Eds.), 2003…2009.
  • DFG, SFB fellowships for 1-2 months per year during 1997-2002 visiting scientist in Max-Born-Institute, Berlin, Germany.
  • Grants for young scientist participation in Conferences abroad 1989-1997.
  • Bulgarian Academy of Sciences grant for specialization in Institute of Physics, Tartu, Estonia and , Institute of Soil Science and Photosynthesis, Pushchino (Russia) 1987 for 2 and 1 months, respectively.
  • TNTM Award for the best M.S. Thesis, Sofia University, Bulgaria, 1980.

Membership in scientific societies

  • International Society of Photosynthesis Research
  • Union of Scientists in Bulgaria
  • Federation of the European Biochemical Societies (FEBS)
  • Bulgarian Society of Biomedical Physics and Engineering
  • Union of the Physicists of Bulgaria
  • Group of Photobiology in Bulgaria (not-active member at the moment)

Reviewer of foreign international journals with impact factor

  • Biochimica et Biophysica Acta – Bioenergetics
  • European Biophysics Journal
  • Environmental Technology
  • Interdisciplinary Sciences – Computational Life Sciences
  • Journal of Fluorescence
  • Journal of Physics and Chemistry of Solids
  • Photosynthesis Research

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Evaluator of project proposals for the Bulgarian National Science Fund, Member of scientific jury.

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