Editorial Board

Assoc. Prof. Dr. Boryana Avramova graduated from the Medical University of Sofia in 1990.
In January 1996, after successfully passing the exam, she acquired a major specialty in “Pediatrics”, and in May 2002, a second specialty in “Pediatrics Hematology and Oncology”.
In November 2005, she acquired the scientific and educational degree “Doctor” after defending a dissertation on the topic “Factors influencing the mobilization and collection of peripheral hematopoietic stem cells in patients with malignant diseases”.
In December 2009, she received the educational and qualification degree “Master” in Public Health and Health Management, and in October 2017, the academic position “Associate Professor”.
After completing her higher education in medicine,s he worked as a fellowship physician in the Department of Pediatrics at the Sofia Medical University (1991-1996); from 1996 to 2013 as a resident physician in the hematology department, and from 2005 in the transplantation department of the Sofia Hospital for Pediatric Hematology and Oncology. From 2013 to 2023, she was the head of the Hematology Unit with a hematopoietic stem cell transplantation sector in the Department of Pediatric Hematology and Oncology clinic at the University Hospital “Queen Joanna” – ISUL in Sofia, and from February 2024 to the present, she is a Head of the same department.
Assoc. Prof. Avramova has multiple specializations in Vienna, Ulm, Munich, Salzburg and Paris in the field of hematopoietic cell transplantation, as well as in the field of mobilization and collection of peripheral stem cells for transplantation and collection of blood products through apheresis activities, for which she holds an internationally recognized certificate.
She is a member of the team that performed the first hematopoietic cell transplantations in Bulgaria and continues to actively develop this activity for more than 25 years.
She is author of more than 80 publications in Bulgarian and international medical journals, textbooks, collections etc., and presentations in many medical congresses and conferences in Bulgaria and abroad.
She is member of many Bulgarian and international professional organizations.
She is a member of the Expert Council on Pediatric Clinical Hematology and Oncology.

Prof. Daniela Avdjieva-Tzavella has recognized specialties in pediatrics and medical genetics, as well as a master’s degree in public health and health management. In 2012, she defended her dissertation on “Clinical and genetic heterogeneity in patients with autism spectrum disorders.” She specialized in pediatrics in Osaka (Japan) and lysosomal diseases in London, Cambridge, Birmingham, and Oxford (UK). She has completed numerous short-term European courses in dysmorphology and metabolic diseases. Since 2020, she has been head of the Department of Pediatrics at MU-Sofia and head of the Clinic for the Treatment of Children with Genetic Diseases at University Pediatric Hospital “Prof. Ivan Mitev.” She is the head of the Expert Center for Rare Metabolic Diseases in Pediatrics and the Expert Center for Rare Dysmorphic Syndromes in Pediatrics. Prof. Avdjieva is the chief coordinator of the Expert Council on Pediatrics and a member of the Expert Council on Medical Genetics at the Ministry of Health. She is the scientific secretary of the Bulgarian Pediatric Association and editor-in-chief of the journals Pediatrics Plus and Pediatric Almanac. Prof. Avdjieva’s scientific interests are in the field of dysmorphology, inborn errors of metabolism, and the genetics of autism spectrum disorders. She has over 190 publications in Bulgarian and foreign journals and has participated in over 280 Bulgarian and international scientific forums.

Assoc. Prof. Atanas Banchev is a specialist in pediatric and adult hematology with a leading role in the field of rare benign hematologic disorders. He is one of the founders of the Expert Center for Rare Benign Hematologic Diseases at University Hospital “Tsaritsa Yoanna – ISUL”, and currently heads the largest Expert Center for Rare Anemias and Coagulopathies in Southeastern Europe, based at the Specialized Hospital for Active Treatment of Hematological Diseases (SBALHZ) in Sofia. This center integrates innovation, multidisciplinary expertise, and comprehensive care for patients from childhood through adulthood.

His professional expertise includes hemophilia, von Willebrand disease, thalassemias, and rare coagulation disorders. He is among the few Bulgarian specialists with advanced training and international certification in hemostaseology.

Assoc. Prof. Banchev has a substantial scientific output as part of renowned international research consortia and professional networks in the fields of hemostasis and thalassemia. He participates in numerous clinical and observational studies, including real-world evidence projects that help shape contemporary therapeutic standards. He is the author of scientific publications, book chapters, educational materials, and strategic documents related to the development of hematology care in Bulgaria, the region, and Europe. Under his leadership, the most significant national scientific event in the field of rare hematologic diseases—the biennial “HemoThal” meeting—is organized and conducted.

As Scientific Editor of Pediatria, he strives to uphold high academic standards, promote interdisciplinary knowledge, and support the development of young specialists.

Prof. Anna Kaneva-Nencheva is the Head of the Pediatric Cardiology Clinic at the National Cardiology Hospital. She is a pediatrician and pediatric cardiologist with extensive clinical and scientific experience in the diagnosis and management of cardiovascular diseases in childhood.

Her primary scientific interests include non-invasive and invasive diagnostic and therapeutic approaches, follow-up of the natural and postoperative evolution of congenital heart defects, diagnosis and treatment of arrhythmias and conduction disorders, as well as diseases of the myocardium and pericardium. Prof. Kaneva-Nencheva is a pioneer in introducing modern interventional techniques in pediatric cardiology in Bulgaria, implementing transcatheter closure of congenital cardiac defects, including atrial septal defect and patent ductus arteriosus.

She is the author of numerous scientific publications and actively participates in national and international professional forums. As the National Consultant in Pediatric Cardiology and Chair of the Expert Council on Pediatric Cardiology at the Ministry of Health, Prof. Kaneva makes significant contributions to the development of standards for the diagnosis and treatment of pediatric cardiovascular diseases in Bulgaria.

She serves as the national representative for Bulgaria in AEPC (Association for European Paediatric and Congenital Cardiology), is Deputy Chair of the “Children’s Heart” Association, and a member of the Bulgarian Pediatric Association, the Pediatric Cardiology Society, the Bulgarian Society of Interventional Cardiology, and the Bulgarian Medical Association.

Her professional work has been recognized with numerous awards, including the distinction “Ambassador of Goodness.” Her involvement on the editorial board of the journal Pediatrics ensures high-level expertise and continued contribution to the advancement of child healthcare and medical science.

Dr. Violeta Yotova is a Professor of Pediatrics at the Medical University of Varna and a pediatric endocrinologist, holding a Doctor of Science degree since 2012. Since 2019, she has been the Head of the Department of Pediatrics, and since 2024, Vice-Rector for “Research Activities” at the Medical University “Prof. Dr. Paraskev Stoyanov” – Varna. She is a member of the Board of the Bulgarian Pediatric Association. Prof. Yotova has extensive clinical, scientific, and teaching experience, as well as international recognition.
Dr. Yotova is Co-Chair of the Education and Training Working Group of the European Reference Network for Rare Endocrine Conditions (www.endo-ern.eu) and Director of the Expert Center for Rare Endocrine Diseases at University Hospital “St. Marina” – Varna. In 2025, she was elected Chair of the Committee on Education and Training of the European Society for Paediatric Endocrinology, a position that simultaneously grants her membership in the Society’s Board of Directors.
Prof. Yotova’s scientific interests are primarily in the fields of obesity, diabetes, growth disorders, and rare diseases. She is the Principal Investigator for Bulgaria in the prestigious childhood obesity and diabetes prevention projects ToyBox and Feel4Diabetes, as well as a board member of COST Action BM1303 “A systematic elucidation of differences of sex development.” Her H-index is 46, and her citations in international literature exceed 11,000.
She serves on the editorial boards of numerous scientific journals, including Endocrine Connections, BMC Endocrine Disorders, BMC Pediatrics, Journal of Clinical Research in Pediatric Endocrinology, Scripta Scientifica Medica, and others.
Prof. Yotova works actively to support the education and scientific advancement of PhD students, residents, and researchers, and currently supervises 17 PhD candidates. Since 2012, she has been the head of the Pediatrics Division at University Hospital “St. Marina” – Varna, and she is also Chair of the National Committee for awarding the specialty in Pediatric Endocrinology and Metabolic Diseases, as well as the Chief Coordinator of the Expert Council on the same specialty at the Ministry of Health.

Prof. Gergana Petrova, MD, graduated from the Medical University of Sofia in 2003. She obtained her specialty in Pediatrics in 2008. She completed postgraduate training in pneumology in Kyoto, Japan. In 2017, she successfully passed the examination for the subspecialty in Pediatric Pulmonology and Phthisiology at the Medical University of Sofia. Her professional career began in 2004 as a full-time PhD student at the Pediatric Clinic of “Alexandrovska” University Hospital. In 2008, she was appointed as a resident physician there. In 2009, she became an assistant professor at the Pediatric Clinic, later advancing to senior assistant professor. She has been an associate professor since November 2016 and, as of September 2023, a full professor in the Department of Pediatrics at the Medical University of Sofia.
Since December 2015, she has been a member of the Expert Medical Commission for the Treatment of Children with Cystic Fibrosis. Dr. Gergana Petrova is Chair of the Expert Medical Commission responsible for the approval of high-cost medications for patients with cystic fibrosis. She has served as a consultant to the Center for Treatment of Children since January 2017 (later a directorate within the National Health Insurance Fund, NHIF) and as a consultant to the NHIF for the prescription of high-cost medications for cystic fibrosis patients. Since 2023, she has been the head of the Expert Center for Cystic Fibrosis in Sofia. As of April 2024, she is also President of the Bulgarian Pediatric Respiratory Society.
Prof. Petrova has delivered over 100 lectures in the fields of pediatrics, pediatric pulmonology, and immunology at regional, national, and international events. She is a co-author of textbooks on pediatrics and pediatric pulmonology. Her scientific and teaching activities focus on cystic fibrosis, asthma, immunological disorders, chronic lung diseases, pneumonias, and rare diseases. She has numerous presentations at medical congresses and hundreds of publications in Bulgarian and international academic journals.
She is a member of the Bulgarian Society of Pulmonary Diseases, the Bulgarian Association of Clinical Immunology, the Bulgarian Pediatric Association, the Bulgarian Medical Association, the Bulgarian Cystic Fibrosis Association, as well as international organizations including ECFS, ERS, EAACI, ERS–PCD, and ECFS PR. She participates as an investigator and principal investigator in numerous clinical studies.

Education:
• MD, Medical University (1984)
• Board certifications: Pediatrics (1990); Pediatric Neurology (2005)
• Additional qualifications: Electromyography (EMG, 2006); Electroencephalography (EEG, 2006)
• Languages: Russian and English

Academic Degree:
• PhD in Medicine (2002). Dissertation topic: “Neurological Complications in Children with Diabetes (Clinical and Electrophysiological Characteristics).”

Current Appointment:
• Department of Pediatrics, Medical University of Sofia

Previous and Current Positions:
• Pediatrician, Kostеnec (1984–1986)
• Academic career at the Medical University of Sofia, Department of Pediatrics: Assistant Professor (from junior to senior), 1986–2009
• Head of the Pediatric Neurology Clinic, Specialized Hospital for Active Treatment of Children “Prof. Ivan Mitev,” Sofia (since 2007)
• Member of the Board of Directors, Specialized Hospital for Active Treatment of Children “Prof. Ivan Mitev” (since 2021)

Academic Promotions:
• Associate Professor of Pediatrics (2009)
• Professor of Pediatrics (2013)
Leadership Roles:
• Head of the Department of Pediatrics, Medical University of Sofia (2012–2020)
• President of the Bulgarian Pediatric Association (since 2021)
• Chair of the Public Council for the Establishment of the National Pediatric Hospital (2023–2025)
• Chief Coordinator, Expert Council on Pediatrics, Ministry of Health (2024– )
• Chief Coordinator, Expert Council on Pediatric Neurology, Ministry of Health (2024– )
• Chair of the Pediatric Board of the Bulgarian Medical Association (since 2023)

Scholarly Output:
1. Author of a Textbook of Pediatrics (in Bulgarian and in English)
2. Author of Propedeutics of Pediatric Diseases
3. Two monographs, one published in English
4. Two educational manuals
5. Editor and co-author of five scientific collections
6. Over 140 original research articles: more than 100 in Bulgarian journals and over 35 in international journals, nearly all indexed and with impact factor
7. Participation in more than 350 scientific forums (over 300 national and over 50 international)
8. Total impact factor: >100
9. Citations: >650
10. h-index: 12
11. Participation in more than 30 national and international scientific projects

Specializations and Advanced Training:
• Epilepsy course, University Hospital Innsbruck, Austria, under Prof. Bauer (2002)
• Myology specialization, Institute of Myology – Pitié-Salpêtrière (Babinski), Paris (1998)
• EMG School, London (2010)
• NBS Academy, Liège, Belgium (2024)

Editorial Board Memberships:
• Pediatria
• Pediatrics Plus

Membership in Professional and Scientific Societies:
• Bulgarian Pediatric Association
• Society of Child Neurology, Psychiatry, and Developmental Psychology
• Bulgarian League Against Epilepsy
• Bulgarian Society of EEG, EMG, and Clinical Neurophysiology
• International League Against Epilepsy (ILAE)
• Treat-NMD Alliance

Membership in International Expert Groups and Boards:
• Spinal Muscular Atrophy (SMA) expert panels
• Newborn Screening (NBS) group for SMA
• Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy and other neuromuscular disease expert boards

Prof. Ivan Ivanov is a pediatrician and pediatric neurologist. In 1999, he defended his dissertation on the role of transfontanel ultrasonography in monitoring high risk newborns. In the following years, he worked on various test methods in pediatric neurology, cytomegalovirus infection, various epileptic, developmental and metabolic encephalopathies, encephalitis and virus-associated encephalopathies, early childhood development, and others. He is the author of 140 articles and has 240 participations in scientific forums. He is the organizer of the biennial Multifaceted Conference on Child Development, which started in 2013, and is the editor of books with full-text reports from the conference. He is a member of the Expert Board of Pediatric Neurology.
Prof. Ivanov is staff member of the Department of Pediatrics “Prof. Ivan Andreev” at the Medical University of Plovdiv, of the Pediatric Clinic of the University Hospital “St. George” and of the Unique Medical Center in Plovdiv.

Prof. Iliyana Hristova Pacheva, MD, PhD, has served as Head of the Department of Pediatrics at the Medical University of Plovdiv since 2024. She works in the Pediatric Neurology Unit of the Department of Pediatrics at St. George University Hospital in Plovdiv and is part of the team at the University’s Research Center for Child Development.
She is board-certified in Pediatrics and Pediatric Neurology. Prof. Pacheva is a member of the Bulgarian Pediatric Association; the Society of Child Neurology, Psychiatry, and Developmental Psychology; as well as several international organizations, including the European Paediatric Neurology Society (EPNS), the International Child Neurology Association (ICNA), and the International Headache Society (IHS).
Her scientific interests include neurodevelopmental disorders, epilepsy, headache disorders, rare genetic diseases, and innovative therapeutic approaches. Her research has received broad international recognition, with more than 350 citations. She has served as a reviewer for numerous prestigious international journals.

Prof. Miglena Georgieva, MD, PhD, was born in 1961 in Varna, Bulgaria. She graduated with highest distinction from the Fourth Language High School “Frédéric Joliot-Curie” with intensive French language instruction. In 1986, she completed her medical degree with full honors at the Leningrad Pediatric Medical Institute (Leningrad, USSR).

In 1996, she defended her PhD thesis in the field of pediatric gastroenterology. She obtained her specialty in Pediatrics in 1992, followed by a specialty in Pediatric Gastroenterology in 2005. In 2010, she completed her habilitation at the Department of Pediatrics and Medical Genetics at the Medical University “Prof. Dr. Paraskev Stoyanov” – Varna. In 2018, she received an additional specialty in Nutrition and Dietetics.

Since 2023, she has been a Professor at the Department of Pediatrics, Medical University of Varna. From April 1, 2014 to May 1, 2025, she served as Head of the Second Pediatric Clinic at St. Marina University Hospital in Varna. Since July 1, 2025, she has been a staff physician at the Department of Hospitalized Care at St. Anna Hospital – Varna. Her clinical and academic work focuses on pediatric gastroenterology and nutrition.

She has completed professional training in Poland, Slovenia, Spain, Austria, and the United Kingdom. She is a board-certified specialist in Pediatrics, Pediatric Gastroenterology, and Nutrition and Dietetics.

Prof. Georgieva has more than 370 scientific publications and conference presentations in Bulgaria and abroad, with over 300 citations in national and international journals. She has contributed to a monograph and several textbooks. She has supervised five successfully defended PhD dissertations in pediatrics—specifically in pediatric gastroenterology, pediatric pulmonology, and pediatric neurology. She also mentors pediatric and pediatric gastroenterology residents who have successfully completed their specialty training.

She has led several scientific projects at the Medical University of Varna and has participated in international research initiatives. Her professional expertise includes diseases of the upper and lower gastrointestinal tract, Helicobacter pylori infection, liver disorders, food allergy, the use of probiotics, and related areas.

Prof. Georgieva is President of the Bulgarian Society of Pediatric Gastroenterology, Hepatology and Nutrition; Deputy Chair of the Bulgarian Pediatric Association; and a member of the National Expert Council on Pediatric Gastroenterology at the Ministry of Health. She serves as Chair of the State Examination Board for awarding the specialty in Pediatric Gastroenterology.

She is also a member of the Bulgarian Pediatric Association; the Bulgarian Society of Pediatric Gastroenterology, Hepatology and Nutrition; the Bulgarian Scientific Society of Gastroenterology; the Bulgarian Medical Association; BULSPEN (Bulgarian Society for Enteral and Parenteral Nutrition); the Bulgarian Society of Neurogastroenterology and Motility; ICMART; Société Française de Pédiatrie; ESPGHAN (European Society for Paediatric Gastroenterology, Hepatology and Nutrition); and ESPEN (European Society for Clinical Nutrition and Metabolism).

She is an organizer and participant in a wide range of Continuing Medical Education programs, nutrition conferences, pediatric and pediatric gastroenterology symposia, as well as parent education initiatives. She has also been involved in the Municipality of Varna’s program “Child and School Nutrition.”

Prof. Stefan Stefanov is a pediatrician and pediatric rheumatologist. He obtained the specialties “Children’s Diseases” and “Pediatric Rheumatology” in 1989 and 1993. He specialized in pediatric rheumatology in Finland, Germany and Italy. He defended his dissertation on the topic “Treatment of Juvenile Chronic Arthritis with Intraarticular Administration of Depo-Corticosteroids” in 1988. Since 2011, he has been an associate professor, and since 2018 – a professor of pediatric diseases at the Department of Pediatrics, Medical University, Sofia. Author and co-author of over 140 scientific articles, reports and scientific communications, a textbook, a study guide, etc. Until 2024, he was the head of the clinic of rheumatology, cardiology and hematology of SBALDB “Prof. Dr. Ivan Mitev”, Medical University, Sofia, and currently – a consultant at the same clinic. Long-time national consultant in pediatric rheumatology. Consultant at the Pediatric Clinic, „Heart and Brain“ Hospital, Pleven. Member of the International Pediatric Rheumatology Organization (PRINTO), Bulgarian Pediatric Association, Bulgarian Scientific Society of Rheumatology, Bulgarian Medical Society of Osteoporosis and Osteoarthritis, and the Association “Rheumatic Sick Child”.

Assoc. Prof. Yordanka Uzunova, MD, PhD, graduated in Medicine from the Medical Academy in Sofia (1982–1988). Between 1989 and 1995, she completed her specialization in Pediatrics. She began her professional career at the Pediatric Department of Vidin District Hospital, where she worked as a pediatrician from 1989 to 1999.

Since 1999, her professional development has been closely linked to University Hospital “Lozenetz.” She initially worked as a pediatrician, and since 2017 she has served as Head of the Pediatric Clinic. Her clinical responsibilities include the diagnosis and management of a broad range of pediatric conditions—pulmonary, endocrine, gastroenterological, rheumatological, and others—as well as coordination of highly specialized diagnostic and therapeutic activities.

Since 2004, she has been part of the team that has performed all pediatric liver transplantations in Bulgaria under the leadership of Prof. Lyubomir Spasov. Her scientific work is strongly focused on transplant medicine. In 2016, she defended her PhD thesis on “The Early Postoperative Period in Children After Liver Transplantation,” and in 2017 she obtained the academic rank of Associate Professor at the Medical Faculty of Sofia University “St. Kliment Ohridski.”

Her academic career began in 2012 as a lecturer at the Medical Faculty, where she later served as Vice-Dean (2019–2022). She is actively involved in teaching medical students and pediatric residents. She has supervised one successfully defended PhD thesis and is currently supervising two additional doctoral candidates.

She is a member of the Bulgarian Pediatric Association, the Bulgarian Medical Association, the Bulgarian Transplantation Society, ILTS, and ESOT. At present, Assoc. Prof. Uzunova serves as Organizational Secretary of the Bulgarian Pediatric Association and Chair of the Ethics Committee of the Sofia Regional College of the Bulgarian Medical Association.

She is the author of more than 80 scientific publications and of the monograph “Liver Transplantation in Children.” She participates in numerous scientific projects and is a regular contributor to national and international conferences.