Acad. Ilza Pajeva, DSc | CV | Institute of Biophysics and Biomedical Engineering Bulgarian Academy of Sciences

Degrees and titles

2024: Academician of the Bulgarian Academy of Sciences (BAS)
2015: Corresponding member of the Bulgarian Academy of Sciences (BAS)
2009 Full professor in Theoretical and Computational Chemistry, BAS, Sofia
2008 DSci in Pharmacology, BAS, Sofia
1989 PhD in Biological Science, BAS, Sofia
1978 MSci in Chemical Cybernetics, Mendeleev Institute of Chemical Engineering, Moscow, Russia, Diploma thesis.

2010-2023: Full professor “QSAR and Molecular Modelling” Department at Institute of Biophysics and Biomedical Engineering – BAS, Sofia
2010-2023: Head of Department
2023-present: Honorary Head of Department
1981-2010: Centre of Biomedical Engineering – BAS, Sofia

1995-present:Multiple research stay as a visiting scientist at the Institutes of Pharmacy of the Universities of Halle and Bonn, Germany.
1992-1994: Research Fellow of the Alexander von Humboldt Foundation, at the Research Centre Borstel, Borstel, Germany.
1991: Visiting scientist at the German Cancer Research Centre, Heidelberg, Germany.
1989: Visiting scientist at Department of Chemical Cybernetics, Mendeleev Russian University of Chemistry and Technology, Moscow, Russia.
1982: Visiting scientist at the Institute of Organic Synthesis, Riga, Latvia.

Development and application of structure- and ligand based methods (including QSAR) to drug design and assessment of risk of chemicals on human health and environment;
Cancer multidrug resistance (MDR) – mechanisms and modulation;
ABC transporters and nuclear receptors – interactions with ligands and structure-function relationships;
Bioactive compounds of natural origin;
Drug-membrane interactions and artificial membranes.

More than 170 original papers, incl. 100 publications in international journals with IF and SGR, and book chapters (published by Elsevier, Alan R. Liss, Inc., Escom, Prous Science Publ., BIOS Sci. Publ. Ltd., Kluwer Academic/ Plenum Publ., IOS Press, Bentham Science, Academic Press, Humana Press, John Wiley & Sons Inc., Springer Nature); 3 books edited
More than 2660 citations, h-index 27
More than 230 contributions to scientific forums, of them 32 times as an invited speaker

Referee for more than 40 journals with impact factors
Referee for more than 30 peer-reviewed scientific journals
Member of the Editorial board of the journals: Nuclear Receptor Research, International Journal Bioautomation, Studia Oncologica (Bulgaria)
Referee of Diploma and PhD theses, scientific projects for the National Science Fund of Bulgaria, 7FP and Horizon2020 programs of the EC
Chair, co-chair and member of program/scientific/organizing committees of 35 international and national scientific forums
Referee of more than 30 national and international scientific projects, including EC 7^th Framework program and Horizon2020
2010-present: Member of the Scientific Board of the Institute of Biophysics and of Biomedical Engineering)
2013-present: Member of the Executive Council of the Bulgarian Academy of Sciences
2014-2016: Member of the Scientific Board of SofiaTechPark (2014-2016)
2019-present: Member of the Executive Council of the National Science Fund of Bulgaria

2002:Lecturer in the European summer university “Pharmacology of New Anticancer Drugs” 2002, Institute Bergonie, Bordeaux, France
2002-2004: Lecturer on “Molecular modelling and QSAR” in the Master Program on Computational Chemistry, Faculty of Chemistry and Pharmacy;
2004-present: Lecturer on “In Silico Drug Design” of PhD students at the Training Center of the Bulgarian Academy of Sciences
2011-2014: Lecturer on “Ligand-based methods in drug design” in the Master Program “In silico drig design”, University Paris Diderot, Paris 7, France;
2014-present: Lecturer on “Computer-Aided Drug Design” in the Master Program on Biomedical informatics, Faculty of Mathematics and Informatics, Sofia University;
2018: Lecturer in 2 international schools of EU projects (PRACE and COST Action CM1407)
Supervisor of 4 interns, 6 Diploma students and 5 PhD students

2011-2015: Participant in the project COSMOS, FP7-HEALTH-2010-Alternative-Testing-Strategies (completed)
2015-2019: Member of the Management Committee of COST Action CM1407 “Challenging organic syntheses inspired by nature – from natural products chemistry to drug discovery”
2017-2019: coordinator of 1 project and a team member of 3 projects financed by the National Science Fund of Bulgaria
2018-2022: Member of the Management Committee of COST Action “New diagnostic and therapeutic tools against multidrug resistant tumors”
2018-2023: group coordinator in the National Scientific Program “Healthy Foods for a Strong Bio-Economy and Quality of Life” financed by the Bulgarian Ministry of Education and Science
2019-2021: supervisor of a young scientist under the National Program “Young Scientists and Postdoctoral Students
2022-present: Member of the Management Committee of the European project under COST Action CA 21145 “European Network for diagnosis and treatment of antibiotic-resistant bacterial infections (EURESTOP)”

2008-2014: Ambassador-scientist of the Alexander von Humboldt Foundation, Germany
2015-2019: President of the Humboldt Union in Bulgaria
2019-current: Honorary President of the Humboldt Union in Bulgaria

2011: Award for high scientific achievements of scientists over 35 years in a competition for high scientific achievements of the Union of Scientists of Bulgaria
2014-2019: 7 awards in co-authorship for oral communications and posters at international conferences and award for youth project in the field of “Biomedicine and quality of life” supported by the Bulgarian Academy of Sciences (as a supervisor)
2020: The Order of Merit of the Federal Republic of Germany (“Das Verdienstkreuz am Bande”)
2023: Honorary badge of the Bulgarian Academy of Sciences “Marin Drinov” on ribbon