Cornelia Kaden

Dr. Cornelia Kaden is a leading researcher at the Helmholtz-Zentrum Dresden-Rossendorf (HZDR), where she currently serves as Head of the Structural Materials Division since 2025, having previously served as Co-head of the division from 2016 to 2024. She has been a scientific staff member at HZDR since January 2007, establishing herself as a key figure in nuclear materials research.

Dr. Kaden earned her doctoral degree from Technische Universität Dresden between 2007 and 2013, following her studies in Mechanical Engineering (Power engineering/Nuclear power engineering) at the same institution from 2001 to 2006. She also completed a research stay at the Centro de Investigaciones Energéticas, Medioambientales y Tecnológicas (Ciemat) in Madrid, Spain from February to July 2012, focusing on transmission electron microscopy of neutron- and ion-irradiated Fe-base alloys.

Dr. Kaden's research focuses on the irradiation behavior of structural materials under neutron and ion irradiation, particularly the evolution of nanostructure. Her work encompasses microstructural characterization from the nanometer to micrometer scale of both unirradiated and irradiated steels, examining structure-property relationships. Her primary materials of interest include ferritic/martensitic Cr-steels, oxide dispersion strengthened steels, reactor pressure vessel steels, and model alloys. She employs advanced techniques such as ion irradiation, nanoindentation, and transmission electron microscopy in her research.

Analysis of Dr. Kaden's recent publications reveals a consistent focus on radiation effects in nuclear materials, with particular emphasis on how alloying elements (Ni, Si, P) affect the behavior of Fe-Cr alloys under irradiation. Her work frequently involves comparative studies between ion irradiation and neutron irradiation, with increasing use of advanced characterization techniques like atom probe tomography. The research has significant implications for developing materials for both fission and fusion reactor applications.

• EU HORIZON-EURATOM project INNUMAT (Innovative structural materials for fission and fusion)
• EU Horizon 2020 project M4F (Multiscale modeling for fusion and fission materials)
• EU FP7 collaborative project MatISSE (Materials Innovations for Safe and Sustainable nuclear in Europe)
• EU Horizon 2020 project SOTERIA (Safe long term irradiation of light water reactors)
• EERA JPNM pilot project IOANIS (Ion irradiation as a neutron irradiation surrogate)
• EERA JPNM pilot project NINA (Nanoindentation for nuclear applications)
• IAEA Coordinated Research Project SMoRE-II (Accelerator Simulation and Theoretical Modelling of Radiation Effects)

Dr. Kaden leads the Structural Materials Division at HZDR, which is equipped with advanced facilities including the Ion Beam Center. Her team conducts cutting-edge research on radiation damage in structural materials for nuclear applications, collaborating extensively with international partners across Europe and beyond.