Deborah Berhanu, PhD

Education

BS, Universit Claude Bernard Lyon 1
PhD, University of Manchester

Research Interests

 Nanoparticles Synthesis and Characterization; Hybrid Materials and Composites; Self-assembly and Superlattices; Role of Nanotechnology in Sustainable Development and Circularity; Effect of Nanoparticles to Human Health and the Environment. My research focuses on the synthesis and characterization of nanoparticles for various applications. View a full list of my publications (.pdf)   

Conferences and Presentations

Circularity and its Applications: The Role of Nanotechnology, Global Fashion Management School of Graduate Studies, Fashion Institute of Technology, 2019, New York Seminar. 

NanoEarth Summer School, 2016, National Center for Earth and Environmental Nanotechnology Infrastructure, Virginia Tech., USA.

Quantitative Nanostructure Toxicity Relationships (QNTR), 2011, The Vaeshartelt Castle, The Netherlands

“Optimizing synthesis and characterization of nanomaterials for toxicological studies”. Symposium - Safety issues of Nanomaterials along their life cycle, 2011, Barcelona, Spain

“The importance of particle characterization in nanotoxicology”. Advanced Materials Science and Engineering (Graduate School Lecture) Royal School of Mines, Imperial College London, 2010, London, UK

NanoImpactNet Environmental Workshop, 2010, Zurich, Switzerland. The organizers published the outcomes of the discussions. Vicki Stone et al., Sci. Tot. Environ. 408 (2010) 1745–1754. DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2009.10.035 

Grants

2020

The Faculty Development Grants and Awards (FDGA) to attend the ACS Conference in Philadelphia (canceled). 

2019

National Science Foundation - Award #1919563 - MRI: Acquisition of a Benchtop Analytical Scanning Electron Microscope 

2017-2018

CUNY Research Scholars Program- Director of the Program on Kingsborough Campus. CRSP provided scholarship for 28 students, research supply/summer salary for the mentors and an administration budget.

2016

The President's Innovation Award allowed my research group to acquire an inverted microscope and mentor students on Pickering emulsions using nanoparticles.

MUNI Visiting Scientist at NanoEarth, Access to the Virginia Tech National Center for Earth and Environmental Nanotechnology Infrastructure (NanoEarth), a member of the National Nanotechnology Coordinated Infrastructure (NNCI), supported by NSF (ECCS 1542100). One-week access of the Dynamic Light Scattering and Transmission Electron Microscope, including travel and accommodation expenses.

PSC-CUNY Enhanced Grant has allowed us to pursue nanoscience research at Kingsborough and access various facilities across CUNY.

2015 and prior

Diversity Projects Development Fund- This CUNY funding scheme allowed us to ‘Start Nanosciences Research at Kingsborough Community College.
World Universities Network, 3-month fellowship at Penn State to investigate microwave synthesis of PbS and PbSe nanocrystals.

The University of Manchester, PhD Scholarship for 3 years.

Courses

• SC 149 Chemistry for Cosmetics and Fragrances
• SC 147 The Forensics of Fiber Analysis
• SC 245 Chemistry of the Everyday World