Daniela Pilarska

Prof. Daniela Pilarska is a faculty member at the New Bulgarian University (NBU) since 2015, holding the rank of Professor in the School of Natural Sciences under the Department of Natural Sciences. Her research focuses on Protozoology, Entomopathology, and Biological Control of insect pests, particularly microsporidia and fungal pathogens like Entomophaga maimaiga and Isaria fumosorosea. She has published extensively on insect-pathogen interactions in forest ecosystems.

• Education:
  • PhD in Biology, Sofia University (1975-1980)
  • Specializations at Iowa State University, University of Illinois, and institutions in Austria, Germany, and Czechia

Research Highlights: She has characterized 42 species of insect parasites, with over 100 publications and 350+ citations. Her work spans collaborations across Bulgaria, the U.S., Germany, Austria, Czechia, and Georgia, focusing on entomopathogenic fungi, microsporidia, and ecosystemic pest management.

Awards & Fellowships:

• Cohn Scholarship (U.S. Department of Agriculture)
• UNESCO Fellowship
• Fulbright Fellowship
• DAAD Scholarship
• DFG Fellowship

She has led 8 international and 5 national research projects, with recent studies on Entomophaga maimaiga distribution and host specificity in Central Europe.