Department of Scientific Research

• Alessandro Armigliato – Mellon Foundation Postdoctoral Fellow
• Caroline Cartwright – Scientist
• Joanne Dyer – Scientist: Colour Science
• Carl Heron – Director of Scientific Research
• Mathilde Jean – Mellon Foundation Postdoctoral Fellow
• Capucine Korenberg – Scientist
• Andrew Meek – Scientist: Vitreous Materials and Records Manager
• Aude Mongiatti – Scientist: Archaeological and Modern Metals
• Dan O'Flynn – Scientist: X-ray Imaging
• Francesco Palmas – Scientist: Organic Technician
• Laura Perucchetti – Scientist: Metals
• Estelle Praet - Research Assistant: Molecular Analysis
• Frederik Rademakers – Scientist: Inorganic Analysis and Metals
• Antony Simpson – Scientist
• Michela Spataro – Scientist: Ceramics and Stone
• Rebecca Stacey – Scientist: Organic Chemistry
• Diego Tamburini – Scientist: Polymeric and Modern Organic Materials
• Olga Zagorodnia – British Academy Researcher-at-Risk-Fellow
• Our research students are listed on the research students page. 

You can search for publications by specific staff members on the British Museum Research Repository.

Research at the Museum drives the care, display and understanding of the collection. Our research creates new knowledge, often through collaboration and by using cutting edge technology. Research projects, studentships and other activities cover a wide variety of academic disciplines and can involve archaeological excavation, studies of museum collections, working with craftspeople, understanding our visitors, conservation and scientific investigations.

The Department of Scientific Research provides a wide range of facilities that enable analysis of materials at an atomic, molecular and cellular scale, and whole object investigation – see Scientific facilities below for more details. We perform experimental and analytical research across the vast array of materials found in the collection, including:

• Organic materials (textiles, feathers, bone, shell, wood, resin)
• Inorganic materials (metals, stones, ceramics, glass, minerals) 
• Biological remains.

Our research unlocks evidence of how objects were made and used, and how they have changed over time. This is vital to inform conservation practice and evidence-led collection care. Our research also reveals wider perspectives on human behaviour and experience, addressing themes such as resource exploitation, recycling, human health, sensory experience and environmental change.

The department's research is communicated through exhibitions and gallery displays, blogs, videos and conferences, as well as in a range of publications including articles in international peer-reviewed journals and academic monographs. 
 

Our scientific research facilities are housed in purpose-built laboratories at the Museum which allows us to work in close proximity to the collection. The technologies we support in our labs are listed below; these analytical techniques allow the study of a diverse range of materials present in the collection.

Microscopy

• Optical microscopy
• Digital microscopy 
• Specialist microscopy: biological, petrographic, UV, metallurgical
• Scanning electron microscopy (SEM)
• Scanning electron microscopy with energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (SEM/EDX)

Imaging

• 2D and 3D multi-band imaging
• X-radiography and computed tomography (CT)

Analytical

• Fibre optic reflectance spectroscopy (FORS)
• Fourier-Transform Infra-Red spectroscopy (FTIR)
• Raman spectroscopy
• Mass spectrometry:
  • Gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS)
  • Liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (LC-MS)
  • Pyrolysis-gas chromatography-mass spectrometry
• X-ray fluorescence (XRF) including scanning-XRF, portable-XRF and X-ray diffraction (XRD)

Find out about some of these technologies in our conservation and scientific research glossary. 

The Museum makes collection material available for scientific examination and analysis by external researchers.

Find out how you can apply for scientific study of the collection for external scientific research.