Scientific Research Fellows

Jana Butman is a Fellow in the Scientific Research department from 2023-2024. Their project was titled "Preventive conservation through analysis of airborne pollutants". Jana Butman joined The Met’s Department of Scientific Research in 2023 as an Andrew W. Mellon Conservation Fellow, where she focuses on preventive conservation through analysis of airborne pollutants. She holds a Ph.D. in chemistry from Northwestern University. There her research focused on surface-specific analysis of human-derived indoor air pollutants. Previously, she worked at the Library of Congress in the Preservation Research and Testing Division, where she developed cleaning solutions for early audio carriers and wax cylinders.

Rachel Lackner is a Andrew W. Mellon Foundation Conservation Fellow in the Department of Scientific Research from 2023-2024. Their project was titled "Development of direct insertion probe mass spectrometry (DIP-MS) for minimally invasive analysis of organic colorants at the molecular level". The chemical identification of organic colorants presents a particular analytical challenge for conservation scientists. One must frequently weigh the desired level of molecular detail with the sample size necessary for analysis. This fellowship project focuses on the development of direct insertion, mass spectrometry (DIP-MS) for minimally invasive organic colorant analysis. DIP-MS requires little or no sample preparation, is highly sensitive, and enables high-resolution mass measurements at the molecular level. The goal of this work is to develop DIP-MS as a complement to existing techniques such as LCMS and SERS for the analysis of natural and synthetic pigments, with a particular focus on prints and paintings.

Avalon Hope Dismukes was a Fellow in the Scientific Research department from 2022–2023. Their project was titled "Application of non-destructive methods, including micro- and macro-XRF; FTIR; Raman; XRD; and SEM, to the study of objects in the Museum's collection and of new acquisitions".

Rachel Lackner was a Andrew W. Mellon Foundation Conservation Fellow in the Department of Scientific Research from 2023-2024. Their project was titled "Chemical analysis of organic colorants using Liquid Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry and related techniques". The chemical analysis of artists’ materials is critical for curators and conservators to gain art historical information, to understand how, when, and where a material was produced, and to determine optimal storage and treatment conditions for an artwork. Organic dyes and pigments present a particular analytical challenge for conservation scientists due to their complex chemical properties and diversity of structure. This fellowship project involves the use of liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (LC-MS) and surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS) for organic colorant analysis and the development and optimization of new, minimally invasive techniques based on direct insertion probe mass spectrometry (DIP-MS). A particular focus is paid to determining the natural sources of organic colorants in some of The Metropolitan Museum of Art’s most important textiles.

Omid Oudbashi was a Fellow in the Scientific Research department from 2022–2023. Their project was titled "Chemical-microstructural investigation to identify metalworking technology during the Early Islamic Period of Iran (7th to 14th centuries AD)". The scientific study of selected objects by using non- and micro-invasive methods will generate information about alloy composition and technology of production. These data will be used to fill the existing gaps in our understanding of Iranian Islamic metalwork technology:

- What is the copper-based alloy favored during the early Islamic period in Iran, and how they relate to the objects’ manufacturing techniques and typologies?
- Is it possible to recognize and define a sequence of development, change and improvement in the copper-base metallurgy during the early Islamic period of Iran?

In addition to these two major questions, the project will also focus on an aspect of metalwork technology that has received little attention, such as the metallic decorations applied to early Islamic objects. Finally, the newly collected data will provide valuable information to understand the history of objects in The Met’s collection and will help contextualize objects lacking a clear provenance within the history of Iranian metallurgy.

Atefeh Shekofteh was a Fellow in the Scientific Research department from 2022–2023. Their project was titled "An Investigation on the stucco decorations from the Sassanid to the Islamic collections of Iran in the Metropolitan Museum of Art.". The project aims at investigating the gypsum artworks from Iran in the collection of The Metropolitan Museum of Art, ranging from Parthian stucco decorations to Islamic period stuccoes of Nishabur. Through a multi-analytical approach (SEM-EDS, XRD, and Raman), the project will provide new knowledge about the ancient techniques and materials of stucco decorations of Iran. The results of this interdisciplinary study will provide useful information towards the reconstruction of manufacturing techniques and will aid conservators and curators in addressing issues of conservation, provenance and authenticity.

Aleksandra Popowich was a Fellow in the Scientific Research department from 2021–2021. Their project was titled "Mass spectrometry investigation of emulsion curing and leather proteins". In recent years, proteomics techniques using mass spectrometry have been adapted to cultural heritage for analysis of proteins in artwork, including leather. While challenges remain, determination of the animal origin of leather is more common; conversely, tissue identification using proteomics remains an underexplored area. Emulsion/organ tanning is a traditional method using natural emulsifying agents (oils/lipids), generally from the organs (brain, liver) of skinned animals, to preserve hide and has been used by cultures globally because it is efficient, unwasteful, and does not require time-consuming sourcing of bark tannins. Additionally, characterization of oils from emulsion tanning is completely novel. This project focuses on developing an innovative analytical method for the extraction and detection of oils and proteins from emulsion-cured leather to deepen our understanding of this technique that was widely used historically and geographically between cultures.

Roxanne Radpour was a Fellow in the Scientific Research department from 2020–2021. Their project was titled "Investigation of Artworks via Macroscale Chemical Mapping Using Hyperspectral Imaging". Roxanne Radpour has been exploring applications of hyperspectral imaging (HSI) to advance such protocols to better serve our understanding of an object’s condition, history, and material nature. HSI is a form of remote sensing that collects hundreds of images of a target in contiguous, narrow spectral bands. Stacking these images produces rich 3D data cubes, in which each pixel in the recorded target scene contains a material signature. In applying this technique to artworks such as paintings and utilizing different regions of the electromagnetic spectrum through targeted illumination, and by employing both reflectance and luminescence capture, we can simultaneously identify constituent painting media and explore how they are applied throughout the artwork (i.e., relatively purely in mixtures or in layers).

Alicia McGeachy was a Fellow in the Scientific Research department from 2019–2020. Their project was titled "Investigation of ceramic and metal objects from the encyclopedic collection of The Metropolitan Museum of Art". This fellowship focuses on the in-depth study of objects in the Museum’s collection that have never been analyzed before. Among the studied objects are small copper alloy casts from Mali and Benin, silver and gold belt fittings, drinking bowls, and goblets found in a single hoard found during an excavation near Vrap, Albania, and ceramic wares produced in the Edgefield district in South Carolina.

Emilie Bérard was a Fellow in the Scientific Research department from 2019–2020. Their project was titled "The Chalcis Hoard: A Material Study of the Origin, Nature, and Transformation of Metal for Armor Fabrication". This project is devoted to shedding light on the above-mentioned factors, by examining the metal of a set of armor defenses belonging to a famous collection known as the Chalcis hoard (from its place of discovery). Most of them are dated from the 15th century and identified as Italian. This work implements a multi-technical approach on selected artifacts, including metallographic analyses, hardness measurements and trace element quantification on slag inclusions entrapped in the metallic matrix (SEM-EDX, LA-ICP-MS), to assess the metal quality used and study its provenance. Coupled with historical evidence, the results will provide new information regarding the history of armor making in Europe.

Francesca Volpi was a Fellow in the Scientific Research department from 2019–2020. Their project was titled "Testing materials for use near organic-based collections: The Paper Test—A novel analytical approach". This paper test project focused on optimizing a possible alternative method based on a cellulose, or paper-based, sensor, rather than metals. The goals were to reduce the aging time and allow for quantitative, non-subjective, evaluation of the sensor degradation. High-pressure anion exchange chromatography with pulsed amperometric detection (HPAEC-PAD) and UV-Vis diffuse reflectance spectroscopy were used to analyze hydrolysis and oxidation, respectively, of the cellulose sensor after aging with storage materials. The effective assessment of cellulose degradation allowed to evaluate the suitability of storage and display materials for use near artworks.

Alicia McGeachy was a Fellow in the Scientific Research department from 2018–2019. Their project was titled "Multi-technical Studies of Eighteenth-Century Overglaze Enamels from Chelsea Porcelain Manufactory". The Chelsea Porcelain Manufactory is often regarded as the preeminent porcelain manufacturer. Established in the 1740s, the factory produced such highly prized works as the Goat and Bee Jugs and developed the iconic claret color. Despite their recognition as an important center of innovation in eighteenth-century Europe, the Chelsea Porcelain Manufactory has been the focus of only a few technical studies and many questions remain about their approach. Here, we employ a multi-technical approach that integrates x-ray fluorescence spectroscopy with scanning electron microscopy with energy dispersive x-ray spectroscopy and Raman spectroscopy, which allows us to not only identify the chemical constituents present but also to address questions about phase and spatial distribution. Such insights will further our understanding of the development of the porcelain industry in England and place that knowledge in context with the advances of enameling techniques across Europe.

Francesca Volpi was a Fellow in the Scientific Research department from 2018–2019. Their project was titled "Evaluation of Commercial Products Used for Exhibiting and Storing Artworks. Set Up of a New Methodology for Testing Materials". The off-gassing of reactive and corrosive molecules from cases building materials is a current topic in preventive conservation. This project is devoted to the evaluation of the “safeness” of several classes of commercial products used for housing or storing museum objects and collections. A new methodology for testing material has been proposed: artificially aging the material with a paper tester into a closed jar together with the analytical evaluation and quantification of the aging effect on paper through suitable and sensitive techniques such as ion chromatography, UV-Vis spectrometry and FTIR spectroscopy.

Marc Vermeulen was a Fellow in the Scientific Research department from 2018–2019. Their project was titled "Systematic Scientific Investigation of the Materials and Techniques used in Japanese Artifacts from the Collection of The Metropolitan Museum of Art". This study focuses on the characterization of the blue and yellow colorants used in Japanese woodblock prints as a way to better understand the production timeframe and establish chronologies of this commercial art form in nineteenth-century japan, where reissuing a popular print well past the date of first issue (or recreating it altogether) is not unusual. By investigating the use of pigments of interest such as orpiment, ultramarine blue, indigo or Prussian blue, we have an independent verification of printing date based on the introduction of new pigments and on changes in pigments manufacturing processes that occurred in the late Edo period and early Meiji. This fellowship builds on previous research on arsenic sulfide and make use of statistical analysis to help create clusters of prints that may help understand when they were made and differentiate between various editions.

Yao Yao was a Fellow in the Scientific Research department from 2018–2019. Their project was titled "Looking beneath the Surface: Scientific Insights into Two Japanese Lacquering Techniques". Lacquered objects, with their undeniable beauty, are among the most sophisticated handicrafts of Asian art. Different lacquering techniques can be used to produce artifacts with various kinds of decorations and visual effects. Here at The Met, a combination of analytical techniques was carried out on microscopic samples removed from Japanese lacquered objects that are undergoing conservation to evaluate the composition of individual materials used in the multilayered decoration. The results obtained not only help us gain insight into the lacquering techniques of the objects but also provide conservators with information for better treatment and preservation.

Andrea Schlather was a Fellow in the Scientific Research department from 2016–2017. Their project was titled "Elucidating Daguerreotype Degradation through Surface Species Formation Using Localized Surface Plasmon Resonance Spectroscopy".

Clara Granzotto was a Fellow in the Scientific Research department from 2016–2017. Their project was titled "How Was It Painted? A Scientific Investigation of Traditional Binding Media: From Proteins to Gums, from Oils to Waxes".

Louisa Smieska was a Andrew W. Mellon Postdoctoral Fellow in the Scientific Research department from 2016–2017. Their project was titled "Applications of X-ray Fluorescence Imaging in the Collection of The Metropolitan Museum of Art".

Stephanie Zaleski was a Fellow in the Scientific Research department from 2016–2017. Their project was titled "Multi-technique Microanalysis for Investigating Binary Red Dye Mixtures in Nineteenth-century Navajo Textiles, and the Characterization of Arsenic Sulfide Pigments in Meiji-period Japanese Prints".

Brunella Santarelli was a Fellow in the Scientific Research department from 2015–2016. Their project was titled "Evaluation and Optimization of Electron Backscattered Diffraction for the Study of Cultural Materials".

Caterina Cappuccini was a Fellow in the Scientific Research department from 2015–2016. Their project was titled "Multianalytical Identification of Organic Colorants Used for Staining Wood".

Clara Granzotto was a Fellow in the Scientific Research department from 2015–2016. Their project was titled "Wax and What Else? A Scientific Investigation of the Binding Media Used in Funerary Portraits and Linen Paintings from Roman and Byzantine Egypt".

Anna Cesaratto was a Fellow in the Scientific Research department from 2014–2015. Their project was titled "Going Far East: A Scientific Study of the Diffusion of Synthetic Colorants in Japan During the Meiji Period (1868–1912)".

Chika Mori was a Fellow in the Scientific Research department from 2014–2015. Their project was titled "Identification of Plant Materials on Power Figures from Kongo".

Elena Basso was a Fellow in the Scientific Research department from 2014–2015. Their project was titled "The Sgraffito Wares from Nishapur (Iran): Reconstructing the Materials and Technology through a Multimethodological Study".

Joanne Dyer was a Fellow in the Scientific Research department from 2013–2014. Their project was titled "Immunological Methods for the Investigation of Organic Binding Media in Ancient Egyptian Polychrome Works of Art".

Maria Lorena Roldan was a Fellow in the Scientific Research department from 2013–2014. Their project was titled "Identification of Black Brown Pigments in Works of Art: A Multi-technique Study".

Lisa Gulian was a Fellow in the Scientific Research department from 2012–2013. Their project was titled "Layer by Layer: Understanding the Decoration of Painted Musical Instruments".

Anna Vila-Espuña was a Fellow in the Scientific Research department from 2011–2012. Their project was titled "Pigment-Based Photographic Processes: A Technical Study of Pictorial Works in The Metropolitan Museum of Art".

Robyn Hodgkins was a Fellow in the Scientific Research department from 2011–2012. Their project was titled "The Effect of Environmental Pollutants on the Deterioration of the Daguerreotype Image".

Anna Vila-Espuña was a Fellow in the Scientific Research department from 2008–2009. Their project was titled "Understanding Pictorialist Photographs in The Metropolitan Museum of Art’s Collection: A Technical Study".

Federico Carò was a Fellow in the Scientific Research department from 2009–2010. Their project was titled "Petrographic and Geochemical Study of Khmer Quarries: Considerations on Production, Use, and Trade of Stone Material in Cambodia from the Sixth to the Fourteenth Century".

Yae Takahashi was a Fellow in the Scientific Research department from 2008–2009. Their project was titled "Non-traditional Synthetic Colorants in East Asian Paintings and Wood-block Prints".

Federico Carò was a Fellow in the Scientific Research department from 2008–2009. Their project was titled "Cambodian Khmer Sculptures from the Collection of The Metropolitan Museum of Art: Towards a Stone Material Reference Database".

Julia Schultz was a Fellow in the Scientific Research department from 2008–2009. Their project was titled "The Application of Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay (ELISA) and Immunofluorescence Microscopy (IFM) for the Identification of Proteins and Polysaccharides in Works of Art"

Federico Carò was a Fellow in the Scientific Research department from 2007–2008. Their project was titled "Determining the Authenticity of Artworks: The Study of the Cambodian Khmer Sculptures in the Southeast Asian Collection of The Metropolitan Museum of Art".

Julia Schultz was a Fellow in the Scientific Research department from 2007–2008. Their project was titled "The Antibody-Based Identification of Proteinaceous Binding Media in Art Objects"

Margaret MacDonald was a Fellow in the Scientific Research department from 2007–2008. Their project was titled "Aging of Oil Paintings: Pigment and Binder Interactions and Formation of Metal Soaps".

Eric Breitung was a Fellow in the Scientific Research department from 2006–2007. Their project was titled "Materials and Methods for Improved Surface Abrasion Resistance in Face-Mounted Photographs".

Eleonora del Federico was a Fellow in the Scientific Research department from 2006–2007. Their project was titled "Study of the Interactions of Pigments and Binders by In-Situ Mobile NMR Spectroscopy".

Jacob Shamir was a Fellow in the Scientific Research department from 2005–2006. Their project was titled "Raman Analysis of Tarry and Lignin-like Pigments Used by Artists".

Wolfgang Schöefberger was a Fellow in the Scientific Research department from 2005–2006. Their project was titled "Non-destructive Investigation of Binding Media and Inks in Works of Art, With a Focus on Paper and Parchment Substrates, using Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (NMR) Techniques".

María de la Vega Cañamares Arribas was a Fellow in the Scientific Research department from 2005–2006. Their project was titled "SERS Application to Identification of Dyes in Samples of Pigments and from Textiles".

Stéphanie Rabourdin was a Fellow in the Scientific Research department from 2004–2005. Their project was titled "Authenticity in Furniture: From Theory to Technical Approach".

Črtomir Tavzes was a Fellow in the Scientific Research department from 2004–2005. Their project was titled "Recent Progress in Melanin Stains Degradation".

Virginia Llado-Buisan was a Fellow in the Scientific Research department from 2003–2004. Their project was titled "Conservation of Color Lithography Posters: Consideration of Analytical Methods Towards a Safer Treatment".