Dr. Dana Kühnel

Dr. Dana Kühnel
Photo: Sebastian Wiedling/UFZ

Address:
Permoserstr. 15
04318 Leipzig
Germany

Building: 6.0
Room: 230
Phone: +49 341 235 1515

Dr. Dana Kühnel 

Curriculum Vitae 

Dana Kühnel received her doctorate in the Department of Nutritional Toxicology of the University of Potsdam. Her doctoral thesis dealt with the development of colon cancer induced by polycyclic aromatic amines, formed during the heating of meat products. After finishing her PhD, in 2006 she joined the Department Cell Toxicology as a postdoctoral researcher (since 2009 the Department of Bioanalytical Ecotoxicology).

The focus of her research shifted to the assessment of potential (eco)toxicological effects of engineered nanomaterials. In several third-party funded projects (e.g. BMBF, EU-FP7, UBA), Dana tackled since then how technically produced nanomaterials affect the health of organisms, how they are internalized and distributed within organisms and how novel findings on nanomaterial-organism-interaction cans be communicated to outside the scientific world.
Specifically, the research activities focus on elucidating the influence of nanomaterial properties on the toxic outcome, the optimization and adaptation of test systems and protocols used in the risk assessment of chemicals for nanomaterials, and the development of analytical methods to gain qualitative and quantitative information on nanomaterial-organisms-interactions in a time- and space resolved manner. In addition, mixture effects between nanomaterials and chemicals are assessed. The outcomes of these activities feed into the development of risk assessment and grouping strategies for engineered nanomaterials.

Since 2009, Dana Kühnel also has been engaged in science communication by evaluating and summarizing scientific results dealing with the environmental impact of nanomaterials to a broad audience. This information is transported via the knowledgebase website www.nanoobjects.info. Starting in 2014, the research field on potential adverse of particles towards environmental organisms was expanded by including microplastic particles and aerosol particles into the research activities.

Current Projects

NanoRigo - Establishing a NANOtechnology RIsk Governance Framework; 01.01.2019 - 28.02.2023

InnoMatLife - Innovative materials and new production processes: Safety in the life cycle and industrial value creation; 01.04.2019 - 31.03.2022

DaNa4.0 - Data on new, innovative and safe application related materials; 01.03.2020 - 28.02.2023

PlasticsFatE - Plastics Fate and Effects in the human body; 01.04.2021 - 31.03.2025

Completed Projects 

NanoValid - Development of reference methods for hazard identification, risk assessment and LCA of engineered nanomaterials

nanoGRAVUR – Nanostructured materials - grouping with regard to occupational safety, consumer and environmental protection and risk minimisation

GruppNano – Grouping of nanomaterials for a joint environmental impact assessment for regulatory aspects (UBA-UFO Plan Project)

FeNanosit - Iron-based nanoparticles and nanocomposite structures for removal of contaminants from groundwater and wastewater

DaNa - acquisition, evaluation and public-oriented presentation of society-relevant data and findings relating to nanomaterials

CNT-Membran - Nanoporous membranes of high specific flow from oriented CNTs for the energy-efficient treatment of waste and process water from the oil and gas industry; 01.03.2017 - 29.02.2020

DaNa2.0 - Data and knowledge on Nanomaterials - Processing of socially relevant scientific facts

WeatherMICS (JPI Oceans) - How weathering processes influence the transport, fate and toxicity of microplastics (MPs) and their leachates in the marine environment

Rapporting to the International expert meeting „OECD Horizontal Meeting on Eco-Toxicology and Environmental Fate of Nanomaterials“, OECD-WPMN / BMU / UBA

INOS - Identifizierung und Bewertung von Gesundheits- und Umweltauswirkungen von technischen nanoskaligen Partikeln; BMBF-Projekt; Arbeitspaket 4 / UFZ-Toxikologische Analyse von Nanopartikeln und Identifizierung von Wirkungsmechanismen

Publications

2024 (1)

2023 (10)

2022 (2)

2021 (2)

2020 (2)

2019 (5)

2018 (5)

2017 (6)

2016 (4)

2015 (5)

2014 (6)

2013 (3)

2012 (2)

2011 (1)

2010 (5)

2009 (5)

2004 (2)