Dr Gaby-Fleur Böl is Head of the interdisciplinary Department Risk Communication at the Federal Institute for Risk Assessment (BfR) in Berlin since 2006 and also teaches at the University of Potsdam. She studied biochemistry in Hannover, where she completed her doctorate in cellular signal transduction at the Hannover Medical School. She then went on to receive her post doctorate degree on the relationship between diet and cancer at the German Institute of Human Nutrition (DIfE). In the area of consumer health protection, the Department of Risk Communication at the BfR is in charge of a participative dialogue with interests groups ranging from politics, science, industry, the public sector, associations, media, non-governmental organisations and consumers.
BfR risk communication focuses on risk perception, how to handle perceived risks and scientific uncertainty as well as the evaluation of risk communication measures in areas such as novel technologies, e.g. nano technology, or the differentiation between food supplements and medicinal products.