Associate Professor Lyudmila Simova-Stoilova, PhD Building 21, Office 104, Lab. 107 Phone: +359-2-9792677; +359-2-979-2681 Е-mail: lsimova@mail.bg; lpsimova@yahoo.co.uk ORCID: 0000-0003-1590-294X SCOPUS Author ID: 6507735732 Research Gate: Lyudmila_Simova

RESEARCH INTERESTS

Biochemistry, molecular biology, proteomics, post-translational modifications, transcriptomics, metabolomics, abiotic stress, chaperones, proteases, protease inhibitors.

EDUCATION AND ACADEMIC DEGREES

• 1986, MSc, Sofia University St. Kliment Ohridski, Faculty of Biology, Sofia, Bulgaria
• 1993, PhD in biology, Cardiology Research Center, Russian Academy of Medical Sciences, Moscow, Russia

PROFESSIONAL BACKGROUND

• 2011 – Continuing: Associate Professor, IPPG – BAS
• 1994 – 2011: Assistant Professor, Acad. M. Popov Institute of Plant Physiology/IPPG – BAS
• 1993 – 1994 Researcher, Acad. M. Popov Institute of Plant Physiology – BAS
• 1988 – 1992: PhD Student, Cardiology Research Center, RAMS, Moscow, Russia
• 1986 – 1988: Researcher, Acad. M. Popov Institute of Plant Physiology – BAS

PROFESSIONAL TRAINING

• October-December 2013 – visiting researcher at the University of Bern, Institute of Plant sciences, Prof. Urs Feller lab, Bern, Switzerland (3 months)
• October 2011-April 2013 – Marie Curie Fellow at the University of Cordoba, Spain, (FP7-PEOPLE-2010-IEF), project „Quercus Ilex proteomic studies on the germination and early seedling growth under drought stress (QUIPROD), Agroforestry and Plant Biochemistry, Proteomics and Systems Biology group, University of Cordoba, prof. J. Jorrin Novo lab, Cordoba, Spain (18 months)
• April 2007 – University of Bern, Institute of Plant sciences, Prof. Urs Feller lab, Bern, Switzerland (under DILPA project, SCOPES) – one month

PROJECTS IN THE LAST TEN YEARS

• 2024-2027 Project КП-06-Н71/12 “Cell-type specificity of ethylene signaling in response to drought (ETIDRO)” (2024-2027), Project participant
• 2024-2025 Project IC-HU/03/2024-2025 “Defence mechanisms at root and leaf levels that allow the resurrection plant Haberlea rhodopensis to overcome the final stage of desiccation”. Partner: Institute of Plant Biology, Biological Research Centre, Eötvös Loránd Research Network, Szeged, HAS, Hungary, Project participant
• 2022-2024 Project HormOnDrought: Physiological and molecular mechanisms of phytohormones-mediated drought stress tolerance, Joint Research Project between the Bulgarian Academy of Sciences and the Lithuanian Academy of Science, Project participant
• 2020-2023 Research grant from National Science Fund (NSF), Bulgarian Ministry of Education and Science (КП-06-Н36-2) „Leguminous crops in Bulgaria – a source of useful additional proteinaceous substances“, Project coordinator
• 2020-2023 Research grant from National Science Fund (NSF), Bulgarian Ministry of Education and Science (КП-06-Н41/6) „Potentiating effect of Haberlea extract on soybean Bowman-Birk protease inhibitor in breast cancer cell lines”, Project participant
• 2018-2021 Research grant from National Science Fund (NSF), Bulgarian Ministry of Education and Science (КП-06-Н21/8) “Mechanisms of recovery from drought and frost-induced desiccation: strategies for survival of the resurrection plant Haberlea rhodopensis”, Project participant
• 2018 – 2020 Joint Research Project between the Bulgarian Academy of Sciences and Research Foundation – Flanders (FWO), Belgium (VS.078.18N) “Cell type specificity of ethylene signaling in plant responses to abiotic stress”, Project participant
• 2017 – 2020 Research grant from National Science Fund (NSF), Bulgarian Ministry of Education and Science (DН11/8) “Small NudC proteins: effective regulators of development and stress tolerance of Arabidopsis thaliana”, Project participant
• 2017 – 2018 Project BG05M2OP001-2.002-0001, Students practicals – Phase 1, Operational Programme “Science and Education for Smart Growth 2014-2020”, Student’s mentor
• 2016-2018 Joint research project within the frames of the bilateral cooperation between Bulgarian Academy of Sciences and National Council of Research (CNR), Italy – “Biochemical and physiological mechanisms of cold hardiness in the resurrection plant Haberlea rhodopensis Friv”, Project participant
• 2016-2017 IAEA- BUL5014 “Screening of cereal germplasm stress response and adaptation potential by advanced nuclear, omics and physiological approaches”, Project participant
• 2011 – 2014 Project DNTC 01-12/13.12.2011 “Regulation of proteolysis under water stress in di- and monocotyledonous plants” (REPRODIMO), Project coordinator/participant

PROFESSIONAL MEMBERSHIP

• Union of Scientists in Bulgaria, Subdivision of Plant Physiology and Biochemistry
• Federation of European Societies of Plant Biology (FESPB)

Publication activity

Scientific publications – 65, with IF – 42
Citations (SCOPUS) – 1443
h-INDEX (SCOPUS) – 19

SELECTED PUBLICATIONS FROM THE LAST 10 YEARS

Simova-Stoilova LP, Romero-Rodriguez MC, Sánchez-Lucas R, Navarro-Cerrillo RM, Medina-Auñón A, Jorrin-Novo JV, 2015. 2-DE proteomics analysis of drought treated seedlings of Quercus ilex supports a root active strategy for metabolic adaptation in response to water shortage. Frontiers in Plant Science 6, 627.

Vaseva I, Zehirov G, Kirova E, Simova-Stoilova L, 2016. Transcript profiling of serine- and cysteine protease inhibitors in Triticum aestivum varieties  with different drought tolerance. Cereal Research Communications  , 44, 1, 79-88.

Simova-Stoilova LP, López-Hidalgo C, Sanchez-Lucas R, Valero-Galvan J, Romero-Rodríguez C, Jorrin-Novo JV, 2018. Holm oak proteomic response to water limitation at seedling establishment stage reveals specific changes in different plant parts as well as interaction between roots and cotyledons. Plant Science 276, 1-13.

Simova-Stoilova L, Pecheva D, Kirova E, 2020. Drought stress response in winter wheat varieties–changes in leaf proteins and proteolytic activities. Acta Botanica Croatica, 79,2, 121-130.

Vaseva II, Simova-Stoilova L, Kirova E, Mishev K, Depaepe T, Van Der Straeten D, Vassileva V, 2021. Ethylene signaling in salt-stressed Arabidopsis thaliana ein2-1 and ctr1-1 mutants – A dissection of molecular mechanisms involved in acclimation. Plant Physiology and Biochemistry, 167, 999-1010.

Georgieva K, Mihailova G, Gigova L, Dagnon S, Simova-Stoilova L, Velitchkova M, 2021. The role of antioxidant defense in freezing tolerance of resurrection plant Haberlea rhodopensis.  Physiology and Molecular Biology of Plants, 27, 5, 1119-1133.

Vaseva II, Ivanova K, Simova-Stoilova L., 2022. Bowman-Birk protese inhibitor gene expression in Phaseolus vulgaris – organ specificity and induction under abiotic stresses. Annual of Sofia University “St. Kliment Ohridski”, Faculty of Biology, 107, Book 4, 61-71.

Mihailova G, Vasileva I, Gigova L, Gesheva E, Simova-Stoilova L, Georgieva K, 2022. Antioxidant Defense during Recovery of Resurrection Plant Haberlea rhodopensis from Drought- and Freezing-Induced Desiccation. Plants, 11, 2, 175.

Zasheva D, Mladenov  P, Rusanov K, Simova S, Zapryanova S, Simova-Stoilova L, Moyankova D,  Djilianov D, 2023. Fractions of methanol extracts from the Resurrection plant Haberlea rhodopensis have anti-breast cancer effects in model cell systems. Separations, 10(7), 388.

Urbutis M, Vaseva II, Simova-Stoilova  L, Todorova D,  Pukalskas A, Samuoliene G, 2024. Drought Protective Effects of Exogenous ABA and Kinetin on Lettuce: Sugar Content, Antioxidant Enzyme Activity, and Productivity. Plants, 13, 12, 1641.

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