She is a Bulgarian patient advocate and journalist with extensive experience in patient engagement, public health advocacy, and strategic communication. She was first diagnosed with pulmonary hypertension in 2009 and, after living with the disease for several years, underwent a life-saving double lung transplant at AKH Vienna, Austria, in 2016.

She is the founder and president of the Bulgarian society of patients with pulmonary hypertension and has served as a Board Member of PHA Europe since 2016, contributing to European initiatives that improve the lives of people living with PH. She is also a founding member and Vice President of the Association of patients with respiratory failure and lung transplantation in Bulgaria.

Natalia is an active member of the European patient community. She serves on the Core Council of the European Lung Foundation and is a PAG representative in ERN-Lung, where she advocates for equitable access to timely diagnosis, effective treatment, lung transplantation, and patient-centred healthcare policies across Europe.

She holds a Master’s degree in Journalism and Mass Communication and a Ph.D. in Political Science from Sofia University “St. Kliment Ohridski”, specializing in international relations. She currently serves as Head of the News, Education and Culture Directorate at Programme Hristo Botev of the Bulgarian National Radio.

She is a native Bulgarian speaker and fluent in English, Greek, and Russian, with working knowledge of German and Croatian.