Dr. Zoriana Danel (formerly Zoryana Usatenko) is an accomplished physicist with a distinguished career in theoretical and condensed matter physics. Born in Lviv in 1968, she earned her Ph.D. in Physics and Mathematics from the Institute for Condensed Matter Physics of the National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine and later completed her habilitation at Jagiellonian University in Poland. Currently an Associate Professor with Habilitation at the Faculty of Materials Engineering and Physics, Cracow University of Technology, she has an extensive background in soft matter physics, polymer physics, statistical physics, and biophysics. Dr. Danel has held numerous prestigious international fellowships, including from the von Humboldt Foundation and DAAD, and has contributed to various international research collaborations. A prolific speaker and author, she has presented at major conferences across Europe and Asia and published extensively. Fluent in multiple languages, she is also actively engaged in academic supervision and peer review.
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Dr. Zoriana Danel began her academic journey in physics with a strong foundation in Lviv, Ukraine. She obtained her Ph.D. in Physics and Mathematics in 1996 from the Institute for Condensed Matter Physics at the National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine, under the mentorship of Prof. I.V. Stasyuk. Her doctoral research focused on statistical theories related to condensed matter systems. Recognizing her growing expertise, she pursued and successfully completed her Habilitation (D.Sc.) in 2014 at the Jagiellonian University in Kraków, Poland, further solidifying her academic authority in theoretical and condensed matter physics. Her postdoctoral development included prestigious fellowships in Germany, enabling her to work under top international scholars and expand her research network. With a strong academic background shaped by institutions known for their scientific rigor, Dr. Danel has built an interdisciplinary and globally informed scientific profile, seamlessly integrating education, research, and international collaboration throughout her academic evolution.
Dr. Zoriana Danel has accumulated a wealth of professional experience across esteemed institutions in Ukraine, Poland, and Germany. Early in her career, she contributed as a researcher at the Institute for Condensed Matter Physics of the National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine, where she honed her skills in statistical physics and soft matter theory. Following her habilitation, she joined the Faculty of Materials Engineering and Physics at the Cracow University of Technology in Poland, where she currently serves as an Associate Professor with Habilitation. Her academic duties include supervising master’s and doctoral theses, mentoring early-career researchers, and developing physics curricula. Dr. Danel has also held prestigious research fellowships and visiting professorships in institutions across Germany, including positions supported by the Alexander von Humboldt Foundation and the DAAD. Through her roles in academia and international research, she has consistently bridged theoretical development with practical applications, cultivating an impactful and respected academic career.
Dr. Zoriana Danel’s research interests are both broad and deeply specialized, reflecting her expertise in theoretical physics and her interdisciplinary approach. She focuses primarily on soft matter physics, polymer physics, and statistical physics, with particular emphasis on the theoretical modeling of complex systems. Her studies often address the behavior of polymers in disordered environments, confined geometries, and the influence of fractal structures on macromolecular dynamics. She also engages in biophysical research, examining biological polymers and their interaction with cellular structures. Using tools from statistical mechanics and field theory, Dr. Danel investigates how environmental constraints and topological factors affect the behavior of macromolecules, such as DNA and synthetic polymers. Her work contributes significantly to understanding nanoscale phenomena and the physics of self-organization. By connecting theoretical insights to experimental observations, she has fostered collaborations with material scientists, chemists, and biophysicists, thereby advancing interdisciplinary research with potential applications in nanotechnology and biotechnology.
Throughout her career, Dr. Zoriana Danel has been the recipient of numerous prestigious awards and fellowships that underscore her international recognition and scientific excellence. Most notably, she has received a fellowship from the Alexander von Humboldt Foundation in Germany, a testament to the global impact of her research in physics. She has also been a recipient of multiple DAAD fellowships, which supported her scientific work at German institutions and fostered valuable international collaboration. In addition, Dr. Danel was selected as a visiting researcher at top-tier German universities, such as the Technical University of Munich and Heinrich Heine University Düsseldorf. Her contributions to theoretical physics and interdisciplinary studies have consistently been acknowledged through invitations to present at international conferences and by peer-reviewed journals where she serves as a reviewer. These accolades reflect her sustained excellence in research, her dedication to scientific progress, and her leadership within the international academic community.
Dr. Zoriana Danel is a distinguished physicist whose career exemplifies academic rigor, international collaboration, and scientific innovation. With a strong foundation in theoretical and condensed matter physics, she has expanded her expertise into soft matter, biophysics, and interdisciplinary research. Her educational journey, marked by a Ph.D. from Ukraine and habilitation in Poland, and professional engagements across leading European institutions, highlight her adaptability and influence. Through her pioneering research on polymers in complex environments and her contributions to statistical physics, she continues to push the boundaries of modern theoretical understanding. Dr. Danel’s accolades, including the Humboldt and DAAD fellowships, further affirm her global standing. Beyond her research, she is a dedicated educator and mentor, shaping the next generation of physicists. Her career is a model of how scientific curiosity, rigorous scholarship, and international engagement can converge to make a lasting impact in both academia and applied science.
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Title: Analytical and Numerical Investigation of Star Polymers in Confined Geometries
Authors: Zoriana Danel, Joanna Halun, Paweł Karbowniczek
Year: 2024
Source: International Journal of Molecular Sciences
DOI: 10.3390/ijms25179561
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Title: Entropic Force in a Dilute Solution of Real Ring Polymer Chains with Different Topological Structures in a Slit of Two Parallel Walls with Mixed Boundary Conditions
Authors: Piotr Kuterba, Zoriana Danel, Wolfhard Janke
Year: 2023
Source: Condensed Matter Physics
DOI: 10.5488/cmp.26.43605
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Title: Molecular Dynamics Simulations of the Monomer Density Profiles of Knotted Ring Polymer Chains Confined in a Slit of Two Parallel Walls with One Attractive and Another Repulsive Surface
Authors: P. Kuterba, H. Christiansen, Z. Danel, W. Janke
Year: 2023
Source: Journal of Physics: Conference Series
DOI: 10.1088/1742-6596/2436/1/012031
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Title: Investigation of Ring and Star Polymers in Confined Geometries: Theory and Simulations
Authors: Zoriana Danel
Year: 2021
Source: Entropy
DOI: 10.3390/e23020242
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Title: Photoelectrical Properties and Surface Examination of Luminescent Copolymer Compounds
Authors: Zoriana Danel
Year: 2020
Source: Applied Surface Science
DOI: 10.1016/j.apsusc.2020.147366
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Title: Investigations of the Optical and Thermal Properties of the Pyrazoloquinoline Derivatives and Their Application for OLED Design
Authors: Zoriana Danel
Year: 2020
Source: Polymers
DOI: 10.3390/polym12112707
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Title: Corrigendum to “Monomer Density Profiles of Real Polymer Chains in Confined Geometries”
Authors: Zoriana Danel
Year: 2020
Source: Journal of Molecular Liquids
DOI: 10.1016/j.molliq.2019.112066
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Title: Erratum: “Monomer Density Profiles for Polymer Chains in Confined Geometries: Massive Field Theory Approach”
Authors: Zoriana Danel
Year: 2019
Source: The Journal of Chemical Physics
DOI: 10.1063/1.5120038
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Title: Ring Polymer Chains Confined in a Slit Geometry of Two Parallel Walls: The Massive Field Theory Approach
Authors: Zoriana Danel
Year: 2017
Source: Journal of Statistical Mechanics: Theory and Experiment
DOI: 10.1088/1742-5468/aa5285
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Title: Polymer Chains in Confined Geometries: Massive Field Theory Approach
Authors: Zoriana Danel
Year: 2009
Source: Physical Review E
DOI: 10.1103/physreve.80.041802