Maria Villar Fernández

Dr. Maria Villar Fernández serves as a Scientific Associate in the Department of Systemic Toxicology at the Institute for Occupational Physiology (IFADO), affiliated with Technical University of Dortmund. She operates under department head Prof. Dr. Jan G. Hengstler at the Ardeystr. 67 facility in Dortmund, focusing on experimental toxicology research with direct applications in regulatory science.

Her research spans Toxicology, Systemic Toxicology, and Risk Assessment, with specialized expertise in Food Safety and Mixture Toxicity. Current investigations examine health implications of novel food compounds like cannabidiol and methodological frameworks for evaluating complex chemical interactions, utilizing advanced bioimaging and intravital toxicology approaches.

Recent publications demonstrate evolving research trajectories toward evidence-based regulatory standards, particularly in food supplement safety (2025) and mixture toxicity conceptual models (2023). Her work bridges laboratory findings with practical risk evaluation protocols for public health policy.

As part of IFADO's Systemic Toxicology team, she contributes to a multidisciplinary research environment that includes Neurotoxicology, Cell Metabolism, and Regulatory Networks of Stem Cell Differentiation divisions, supported by central facilities like the Bioanalytics unit and Animal Laboratory.