
Dr Eugenia Geddes da Filicaia
MChem, MA, PhD
Expertise
Analytical chemist interested in the scientific study of cultural heritage. I focus on the analysis of organic materials in paintings and archaeology using chromatography, mass spectrometry, and compound-specific isotope analysis.
Current positions
Honorary Research Associate in Analytical Chemistry
School of Chemistry
Contact
Press and media
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Biography
I am a Research Associate in Analytical Chemistry for Cultural Heritage, working between the School of Chemistry and the Department of Anthropology and Archaeology at the University of Bristol. Here I act as Operations Manager for the Commercial Organic Residue Analysis (ORA) enterprise, and as Manager for the Arts and Humanities Research Council (AHRC) RICHeS Centre for Chemical Characterisation in Heritage Science (C3HS).
I obtained my MChem in Chemistry at the University of Sussex, before undertaking an MA in Conservation of Wall Paintings at The Courtauld Institute of Art. After working as a conservator and Lecturer I undertook a Collaborative Doctoral Partnership PhD between the scientific department at the National Gallery and the Organic Geochemistry Unit (OGU) at the University of Bristol. The project, completed in 2025, centred on the development of complementary analytical methods to investigate the source of plant- and animal-derived materials in archaeological ceramics and aged paint samples, with a view to reduce sample sizes and increase applications for compound-specific isotope analysis.
Previously, I worked as an Organic Analyst at the National Gallery (2022-2023), and as an Andrew W. Mellon Fellow in Scientific Research at the Art Institute of Chicago (2025-2026). In this role, I characterised understudied organic art materials in Central and South America, with a particular focus on the paint binder on Paracas ceramics from the Middle and Late Periods.
I obtained my MChem in Chemistry at the University of Sussex, before undertaking an MA in Conservation of Wall Paintings at The Courtauld Institute of Art. After working as a conservator and Lecturer I undertook a Collaborative Doctoral Partnership PhD between the scientific department at the National Gallery and the Organic Geochemistry Unit (OGU) at the University of Bristol. The project, completed in 2025, centred on the development of complementary analytical methods to investigate the source of plant- and animal-derived materials in archaeological ceramics and aged paint samples, with a view to reduce sample sizes and increase applications for compound-specific isotope analysis.
Previously, I worked as an Organic Analyst at the National Gallery (2022-2023), and as an Andrew W. Mellon Fellow in Scientific Research at the Art Institute of Chicago (2025-2026). In this role, I characterised understudied organic art materials in Central and South America, with a particular focus on the paint binder on Paracas ceramics from the Middle and Late Periods.
Publications
Recent publications
28/07/2026Pyrolysis Compound-Specific Isotope Analysis of Proteins in Aged Paintings: Diketopiperazine δ13C Values as Collagen Source Indicators
Analytical Chemistry
Stable carbon isotope and accurate mass studies for source determination and identification of cochineal insects and lake pigments
Microchemical Journal
Thermal Desorption Gas Chromatography–Mass Spectrometry Methods for Minimally Invasive Organic Residue Analysis of Archeological Potsherds
Analytical Chemistry
Review on recent advances on the use of mass spectrometry techniques for the study of organic materials in painted artworks
Analytica Chimica Acta


