The research team consists of experienced scientists with long-term expertise and accumulated knowledge in the project field, as well as early-career researchers, PhD candidates, and postdoctoral fellows who have developed a solid scientific foundation of knowledge and skills in the respective field. This structure enables the mutual exchange of ideas, knowledge, and experience, ensuring the successful implementation of the project objectives.
The project is coordinated by Prof. Nikolay Slavov Dinev, DSc.It is implemented at the leading Institute of Soil Science, Agrotechnologies and Plant Protection “Nikola Pushkarov (ISSAPP), part of the Agricultural Academy, Sofia, in collaboration with partner institutions: Institute of Molecular Biology, Bulgarian Academy of Sciences (IMB-BAS), Sofia; Agricultural University, Plovdiv (AU); and University of Architecture, Civil Engineering and Geodesy (UACEG), Sofia.
Prof. Nikolay Dinev, DSc
n.dinev@issapp-pushkarov.org
Prof. Dinev has extensive research and applied experience in the fields of soil science and agrochemistry. The main focus of his scientific work is the monitoring and assessment of soil contamination, including the study of acid soils across the country and the evaluation of environmental and human health risks.
Within this context, various remediation practices have been developed and implemented, aimed at immobilizing soil contaminants, improving soil reaction (pH) to conditions favorable for nutrient uptake, and reducing the risk of hazardous substance accumulation in plant products.
Through the establishment of specialized monitoring networks (Level II), representative data on the spatial distribution of contaminants have been obtained, enabling the effective implementation of remediation strategies and materials.
Assoc. Prof. Mariana Hristova, PhD
m.hristova@issapp-pushkarov.org
Assoc. Prof. Hristova is the head of the Department “Genesis, Diagnosis and Classification of Soils” at the Institute of Soil Science, Agrotechnologies and Plant Protection “N. Pushkarov” (IPAZR). Her research work includes both methodological and applied contributions in soil science, particularly in land reclamation and site remediation.
She specializes in studies of heavy metal contamination, as well as in the characterization, composition, and transformation of soil organic matter (SOM). She has extensive experience in laboratory analyses and participation in inter-laboratory proficiency testing.
Her key scientific expertise lies in soil diagnostics based on morphological, physicochemical, and chemical indicators, applied for the assessment of soil status and environmental risk.
Assist. Prof. Ana Chrankina-Katsarova, PhD
a.katsarova@issapp-pushkarov.org
Assist. Prof. Ana Chrankina-Katsarova, is a postdoctoral researcher in Agrochemistry at the Institute of Soil Science, Agrotechnologies and Plant Protection “Nikola Pushkarov” (ISSAPP). She obtained her PhD in 2021 with a dissertation entitled “Evaluation of Different Soil Amendments and Their Effects on Soil Properties for the Production of High-Quality and Safe Agricultural Products.”. Her research focuses on plant nutrition mechanisms under environmental stress conditions, aiming to improve crop productivity and optimize plant performance. She conducts experimental studies involving natural and synthetic soil amendments across different crop species and soil types.
Her research experience includes participation in numerous national and international projects focused on environmental risk modelling, sustainable management of contaminated and anthropogenically impacted sites, and the application of recycled bio-organic waste as soil amendments to improve soil fertility while reducing the environmental impacts of fertilization.
Assist. Prof. Eng. Veselina Vasileva, PhD
v.hristova@issapp-pushkarov.org
Assist. Prof. Veselina Vassileva is a researcher in Agrochemistry at the Institute of Soil Science, Agrotechnologies and Plant Protection “Nikola Pushkarov” (ISSAPP). She obtained her PhD with a dissertation entitled "В“Effects of Selected Agroecological Factors on Earliness, Productivity, and Fruit Quality of Determinate Tomato Varieties and Hybrids.". She has additional expertise in sustainable land management, acquired through the international training courses "Sustainable Soil Management – Soil for Life" and "Sustainable Agricultural Land Management".
Her research experience includes establishing and managing field experiments and controlled-environment trials, monitoring crop growth and development, and evaluating crop yield and quality. She applies modern technologies for agricultural land monitoring, including unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) technologies, and is a certified drone pilot. These competencies support the application of remote sensing techniques for agroecological assessment and precision agriculture.
Assist. Prof. Eng. Victoria Kuncheva, PhD
v.kuncheva@issapp-pushkarov.org
Assist. Prof. Kancheva has been a researcher at the Institute of Soil Science, Agrotechnologies and Plant Protection “Nikola Pushkarov” (ISSAPP) since 2015, where she is affiliated with the "Department of Agricultural Mechanization and Hydromeliorative Systems". She obtained her PhD in 2020 within the same department under the supervision of Assoc. Prof. Eng. Neli Gadjalska, PhD, and Prof. Nikolay Dinev, DSc.
Her doctoral research focused on heavy metal contamination and the relationships among contaminant concentrations in water, soils, and plants.
This work provided comprehensive knowledge of contaminant transport and interactions among environmental compartments and enabled the application of modern methods for contaminant identification, source apportionment, and environmental assessment.
She has acquired practical experience with a range of specialized software tools, including hydraulic flow modelling and simulation of heavy metal transport in aquatic systems, providing valuable expertise for integrated environmental risk assessment and water-soil interaction studies.
Assoc. Prof. Galina Radeva, PhD
gradeva@bio21.bas.bg
Assoc. Prof. Radeva is a researcher at the Institute of Molecular Biology, Bulgarian Academy of Sciences (IMB–BAS), and a recognized expert in the genomics and functional characterization of microbial communities. She has completed numerous research specializations in leading international laboratories. Her research focuses on the characterization of soil microbial communities using biochemical methods, metabolic and physiological profiling, and advanced molecular genetic approaches, including next-generation sequencing (NGS).
She has extensive expertise in statistical analysis and bioinformatics and is highly experienced in the application of state-of-the-art bioinformatics tools for processing, analysing, and interpreting high-throughput sequencing datasets. Her expertise covers the development and implementation of bioinformatics pipelines for comprehensive microbiome analysis, providing an essential component of modern ecology pipeline research.
Assist. Prof. Ivan Gatev, PhD
ega8@sfu.ca
Assist. Prof. Gatev is a postdoctoral researcher at the Institute of Molecular Biology, Bulgarian Academy of Sciences (IMB-BAS), specializing in bioinformatics and high-throughput sequencing data analysis.
He is a member of the research team of the Bulgarian National Science Fund (BNSF) project KP-06-N11/24 "The Soil Microbiome as an Indicator of Biodiversity and the Evolution of Microbial Communities under Long-Term Heavy Metal Contamination,”led by Assoc. Prof. Galina Radeva.
Assoc. Prof. Eng. Galina Dimova-Boikinova, PhD
galinamdimova@gmail.com
Assoc. Prof. Eng. Dimova-Boikinova is a lecturer in the Department of Water Supply, Sewerage and Water Treatment at the Faculty of Hydraulic Engineering, University of Architecture, Civil Engineering and Geodesy (UACEG). Her research focuses on water supply and sewerage systems, drinking water and wastewater treatment technologies, assessment of surface water quality, and modelling of pollutant transport at the river basin scale.
She is the author or co-author of more than 30 scientific publications in national and international peer-reviewed journals, including 12 publications indexed in journals with an Impact Factor. She has participated in three research projects, including Danube Hazard m3c, funded under INTERREG, Danube Transnational ProgrammeThe project aimed to improve knowledge and understanding of hazardous substance pollution in the Danube River Basin by integrating and harmonizing existing monitoring data on hazardous substance concentrations and by modelling pollutant emissions at the catchment scale in selected pilot regions.
Eng. Radoslav Tonev
radoslaw_tonew@abv.bg
Eng. Tonev is a PhD candidate in the Department of Water Supply, Sewerage and Water Treatment at the University of Architecture, Civil Engineering and Geodesy (UACEG). His main interests are in the fields of water supply and sewerage, drinking water and wastewater treatment, water quality assessment of natural waters, and water quality modelling using software models.
He has participated in numerous national and international scientific conferences. He has taken part in a total of three national and international research projects and is the author/co-author of 6 scientific publications. He is a member of the project team of Danube Hazard m3c, funded underNTERREG, Danube Transnational Programme, 3 call, 2019-2020.
Prof. Stefan Shilev, PhD
stefan.shilev@au-plovdiv.bg
Prof. Shilev is the Head of the Department of "Microbiology and Environmental Biotechnology" at the Faculty of Plant Protection and Agroecology, Agricultural University – Plovdiv. His research interests are focused on soil microbiology, particularly on interactions within the soil–microbiome–plant system and the role of beneficial microorganisms promoting plant growth.
His scientific expertise includes the application of various methodologies, such as metabolic profiling of soil microbial communities, assessment of soil microbial and enzymatic activities, and metagenomic analysis of soil and compost microbiomes.
His research also covers the sustainable utilization of bio-waste through composting and vermicomposting, as well as the application of derived products in agriculture.
Assist. Prof. Ivelina Neikova, PhD
ivelina.neykova@au-plovdiv.bg
Assist. Prof. Neikova is a researcher at the Department of "Microbiology and Environmental Biotechnology", Faculty of Plant Protection and Agroecology, Agricultural University – Plovdiv.
Ensuring the continuity and long-term sustainability of activities beyond the project’s completion.
The successful implementation of the proposed project will significantly enhance both fundamental and applied scientific knowledge related to the investigation of complex biological systems.