Professional Activities

Employment History

• Professor of Internal Medicine and Rheumatology, University of New Mexico (June 2014)
• Associate Professor of Medicine, Division of Rheumatology, University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, NM  (July 2003 – June 2014)
• Staff Physician, Section of Rheumatology, NM VA Health Care System, Albuquerque, NM (July 2003 – present)
• Research Associate, W.M. Keck Autoimmune Disease Center, Department of Molecular and Experimental Medicine, Scripps Research Institute, La Jolla, California (1991 – 1998)
• Fellow, Department of Autoimmunology, The State Serum Institute, Copenhagen, Denmark (1989 – 1991)
• Consultant, Danish Systemic Sclerosis Study Group, Copenhagen, Denmark (1989 – 1991)
• Guest Professor, Department of Dermatology, Laboratory for Immunology and Biochemistry, Bispebjerg Hospital, University of Copenhagen, Denmark (1988 – 1989)
• National Consultant, Clinical Dermatology and Autoimmune Diseases, Academy of Medicine, Sofia, Bulgaria (1986 – 1988)
• Head, Reference Laboratory for Immunology of Skin and Connective Tissue Diseases, University Skin Clinic, Sofia, Bulgaria (1985 – 1988)
• Research Associate, Institute of Molecular Biology, Program in Molecular Medicine, Bulgarian Academy of Sciences, Sofia, Bulgaria (1985 – 1988)
• Assistant Professor in Dermatology, Academy of Medicine, University Skin Clinic, Sofia, Bulgaria (1984 – 1991)
• General Internist, Lyuljakovo, Bulgaria (1978 – 1980)

Honors and Awards

• Albuquerque Magazine Top Doc in Rheumatology - 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2012, 2013
• First Prize in Henry L. Moses Competition in Basic Science, Montefiore Staff and AlumniAssociation, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, New York (2003)
• Professor NielsHjorth’s Foundation Award, Denmark (1988)
• Outstanding Resident Award, University Skin Clinic, Sofia (1983)
• Summa cum laude, Academy of Medicine, Sofia, Bulgaria (1978)

Society Memberships

• American Association for Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (1996)
• Danish Dermatological Society (1989)
• British Society for Investigative Dermatology (1989)
• European Society for Dermatological Research (1988)
• Bulgarian Dermatological Society (1984)

Other extramural professional activities

• Editorial Board Member,Journal of Medicine and Medical Research(2013)
• Editorial Board Member,Austin Journal of Clinical Medicine (2013)
• Editorial Board Member, Insights of Translational Medicine (2014)
• Editorial Board Member, Journal of Hematology and Blood Disorders (2014)
• Editorial Board Member, SOJ Rheumatology and Rheumatic Diseases (2014)
• Member Elect (2010); Autoantibody Standardization Committee in Rheumatic and Related Disorders of the International Union of Immunological Societies (IUIS), The World Health Organization (WHO), The Arthritis Foundation (AF) and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)
• Reviewer, Clinical Rheumatology, Arthritis Care and Research, Rheumatology, Clinical and Developmental Immunology, PLOS ONE
• Reviewer, VA Research Service Grant Proposals, NM VA HCS, Albuquerque

UNM Committee activities

• Selection Committee, Combined BA/MD Degree Program (2008 – 2011)
• Rheumatology Fellowship Evaluation Committee

Chaired Meeting Sessions at UNM

• UNM Rheumatology Meeting: “Granulomatosis with Polyangiitis: unrecognized fetal outcome          during hospital admission”, presented by Ross Zumwalt, MD, NM Chief Medical              Investigator, March 11, 2014
• UNM Rheumatology Meeting “FcRn and Autoimmunity “, presented by Derry Roopenian, PhD, StefkaPetkova, PhD (The Jackson Laboratory, ME, USA), November 7, 2007
• UNM Rheumatology Meeting “Electrochemical Biosensors in Medicine”, presented by PlamenAtanassov, PhD (UNM, Department of Chemical and Nuclear Engineering), March 13, 2006
• UNM Rheumatology Meeting “Hormonal Regulation of Autoreactive B cells”, presented by Elena Peeva, MD, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, NY, December 12, 2005