Scientific profile - prof. Marianna Murdjeva, MD, PhD

Career development.

• Prof. Marianna Murdjeva has graduated the Medical University of Plovdiv, Bulgaria as a medical doctor.
• two specialties – in 1) medical microbiology and 2) clinical immunology.
•  PhD thesis (1997) focused on transgenic mice models for study the immunological tolerance.
• Leukaemia Research Fund fellowship and specializaton in immunology at the Laboratory of Molecular Immunology in National Institute for Medical Research, Mill Hill, London (1992-1995) under the scientific supervision of Dr. Dimitris Kioussis.

Current Employment. Currently employed as:

• a professor in immunology at the Department of Medical Microbiology and immunology, Medical Faculty of Medical University-Plovdiv and
• a specialist as a medical doctor at the Laboratory of Clinical Immunology of the University hospital “St. George”-Plovdiv. She has a master degree in Health Management since 2011.

Administrative experience and teaching responsibilities:

• Vice rector of international relations and project activity of MU-Plovdiv(2011-2019);
• Rector of the Medical University of Plovdiv for 2019-2023 mandate.
• Head of the Department of Microbiology and Immunology at the same university (2012-2024).
• Head of the Laboratories of Microbiology and Immunology at the St. George University Hospital – Plovdiv (2010-2024).
• Currently a full professor to teach students in master degrees of medicine, dental medicine, pharmacy as a lecturer in microbiology and clinical immunology

.

Scientific publications, research interests and project activity:

• more than 150 published scientific papers
• more than 600 citations
• H-index 16.
• Research interests in the field of Clinical immunology (subareas: autoantibodies and autoimmunity, immune deficiencies, cytokine profile in immune–mediated diseases) and Clinical microbiology  (subareas: antimicrobial resistance and infectious immunity). She has been a scientific supervisor and consultant of 8 PhD students, all  successfully defended their PhD thesis.
• Participation and leadership of scientific national and international projects funded by: the National Research Fund, Leukaemia Research Fund, Horizon 2020, Erasmus+ programme, etc.
• participation and development of joint academic programs with other Bulgarian and European universities.

          Awards:

• National nomination for inventor of the year in the category "Chemistry and Biotechnology" for patent (2015);
• Honorary badge of the Bulgarian Medical Association-Plovdiv and nomination for Physician of the year (2013 and 2021);
• Award “Honorary medical doctor of South-Eastern Europe” from the South-Eastern European forum (2022) and
• Honorary Badge of the Mayer of Plovdiv for active cooperation with the Municipality as a Rector of MU-Plovdiv (2023).

Current membership:

• Union of Scientists in Bulgaria - Society of Immunology and Society of Microbiology
• vice-president of Bulgarian Association of Clinical Microbiologists,
• Management Council of the Bulgarian Association for Clinical Immunology and
• Chief coordinator of the Expert Council in Clinical Immunology at the Ministry of Health, Bulgaria (since 2019).

Member of Editorial/Advisory Board of Scientific Journals:

• Biotechnology and Biotechnological Eq (https://www.tandfonline.com/action/journalInformation?show=editorialBoard&journalCode=tbeq20)
• Folia Medica (2011-2023)
• Acta Microbiologica Bulgarica (https://actamicrobio.bg/archive/issue-1-2023/amb-1-2023.pdf)