Carina Gerritzen

Carina Gerritzen is a researcher at the Faculty of Sciences, Vrije Universiteit Brussel, specializing in archaeological sciences and geochemistry. Her work focuses on strontium isotope analysis to study human mobility, diet, and environmental interactions in prehistoric and historical contexts. She contributes to initiatives like the IsoBel strontium isoscape project for Belgium and collaborates internationally on bioarchaeological studies. Gerritzen has received notable awards, including the BioArCh 'Gamechanger' prize and recognition for her methodological innovations in isotope analysis. Her research integrates archaeological, geological, and chemical data to reconstruct lifeways and environmental baselines, with applications ranging from cemetery studies to dietary reconstruction.

• Education: Doctoral scholarship in Archaeology, Environmental Change, and Geochemistry; Doctorate in Chemistry
• Awards: 1st Prize for Young Researchers (2024), BioArCh Gamechanger Prize (2024), Strontium Isotope Innovation Award (2022)

Her research interests emphasize multi-isotope approaches to analyze human and animal remains, with a focus on resolving questions about migration, subsistence strategies, and technological practices. She has pioneered methods for interpreting strontium isotope data alongside environmental baselines and has co-authored over 30 peer-reviewed publications. Gerritzen actively participates in fieldwork, dataset creation (e.g., IsoArcH database), and academic hosting programs to foster international collaboration.

Notable projects include reconstructing prehistoric lifeways in Spain, analyzing cremation urns in Slovenia, and developing high-throughput analytical techniques for strontium isotopes. She collaborates with institutions across Europe and has presented at major conferences such as the UK Archaeological Sciences Conference.