Ruth Ann Armitage Professor of Chemistry Eastern Michigan University, Ypsilanti, Michigan Previous Next Ypsilanti, Michigan, USA MEMBER INFORMATION Participant 2023 Ruth Ann Armitage is a Professor of Chemistry at Eastern Michigan University in Ypsilanti, Michigan. She studied chemistry at Thiel College and obtained her Ph.D. at Texas A&M University in analytical chemistry. Her broad research interests include determining the composition and age of rock paintings and developing ambient ionization mass spectrometric methods for characterizing dyes in ancient textiles. ​ ​ All members

Katarzyna Anna Vargas Conservator New-York Historical Society Museum & Library Previous Next New York, NY, USA MEMBER INFORMATION Team Presenter 2021 Katarzyna Ann Vargas is a Conservator at the New-York Historical Society, where she cares for the collection’s paper based materials, including printed books, manuscripts, and ephemera. She has particular interest in preventive conservation strategies, historic conservation practices, and conservation ethics. Prior to joining the N-YHS staff, Katarzyna trained at several New York City based conservation laboratories, including the American Museum of Natural History, the Metropolitan Museum of Art, and the Morgan Library. She received her degree in conservation from the Patricia H. and Richard E. Garman Art Conservation Department at SUNY Buffalo State. Extracting Stories from DNA preserved by 19th century Americana Read Abstract ​ All members

Caroline Shaver Graduate fellow Winterthur/University of Delaware Program in Art Conservation Previous Next Delaware, USA MEMBER INFORMATION Participant 2023, Graduate student assistant 2023 Caroline Shaver is a graduate fellow in the Winterthur/University of Delaware Program in Art Conservation, and is currently completing an internship at the Philadelphia Museum of Art. She specializes in the conservation of decorated surfaces on furniture, frames, objects, and architectural woodwork. She has a particular interest in furthering her study of multilayered surface coatings such as lacquer, gilding, paints, and varnishes. ​ ​ All members

Lauren Audi Genomics Lab Manager American Museum of Natural History Previous Next New York, NY, USA MEMBER INFORMATION Participant 2023, Poster Presenter 2021 Lauren Audi is the Senior Genomics Lab Manager at the American Museum of Natural History and a plant biologist. In this position she supports the interdisciplinary research of curators, scientists, students and affiliates at the museum. This includes providing expertise in molecular biology and genetic techniques across a wide discipline of research questions -- from evolution, ecology, conservation and disease detection. DNA Barcoding of Northwest Coast Objects: A method for fostering reciprocal relationships between museums and communities Read Abstract ​ All members

EDUCATION Materials Materials Ethics Ethics Analytical Techniques Analytical Techniques Sampling Topics Sampling Topics ANALYTICAL TECHNIQUES An evolving list of current analytical approaches and protocols for the study of biological materials in cultural heritage: what each can and cannot do, the advantages, the limitations, and the deliberation told through case studies. If you have techniques to post, please email info@artbiomatters.org . Coming Soon Coming Soon

Lauren Dalecky PhD Student École Normale Supérieure Paris-Saclay Previous Next ​ MEMBER INFORMATION Team Presenter 2023 ​ Oil paints from Simon Hantaï's studio: a multidisciplinary glimpse at the most creative periods of his artistic life Co-authored with Molly Warnock. Read Abstract ​ All members

Kristin Windmuller-Luna Sills Family Consulting Curator, African Arts Brooklyn Museum Previous Next New York, NY, USA MEMBER INFORMATION Participant 2018 Curator and art historian Dr. Kristen Windmuller-Luna (Ph.D., Princeton University) specializes in the arts and architectures of Africa, with a focus on the early modern era and Christian Ethiopia. Her object-centered curatorial approach emphasizes collaboration, as well as the combination of field, archival, and scientific-based research. ​ ​ All members

Sara Levin Assistant Conservator Department of Objects Conservation The Metropolitan Museum of Art Previous Next New York, NY, USA MEMBER INFORMATION Participant 2021, 2023 Sara Levin joined The Met in 2017 as a project conservator, focusing on the examination and treatment of decorative arts for the renovation of the British Galleries. She is now dedicated to the care and study of indigenous works from sub-Saharan Africa and Oceania. Sara received an MS in art conservation from the University of Delaware/Winterthur Museum, with a focus on archaeological artifacts. She previously held positions at the Brooklyn Museum and Abigail Mack Art Conservation. ​ ​ All members

Daniella Berman Vice President Historians of Eighteenth-Century Art and Architecture (HECAA) Previous Next ​ MEMBER INFORMATION Participant 2023 An art historian specializing in eighteenth- and nineteenth-century art, Daniella Berman has a particular interest in artists’ materials and techniques. Having earned her B.A. at Yale University and her M.A. and Ph.D. at NYU’s Institute of Fine Arts, Dr. Berman has held positions at the National Gallery of Art and The Metropolitan Museum of Art, among others. She has contributed to many exhibitions and publications, and is currently Vice President of the Historians of Eighteenth-Century Art and Architecture (HECAA). ​ ​ All members

Tom Sakmar Richard M. & Isabel P. Furlaud Professor The Rockefeller University Previous Next New York, NY, USA MEMBER INFORMATION Steering Committee 2018 Dr. Tom Sakmar is a physician-scientist and molecular biologist who studies how drugs affect the function of cell surface receptors called GPCRs. He has developed a toolbox of drug-discovery technologies that are now being applied to search for genetic material in art and cultural objects. ​ ​ All members