Eleanor Josephine Schofield

Eleanor Josephine Schofield (born March 26, 1980) serves as the Head of Conservation & Collections Care at the Mary Rose Trust and holds an honorary Professorship at the University of Kent. She earned her MEng and PhD in Materials Science from Imperial College London, completing her doctoral work in 2006 under Mary Ryan with a thesis on "Formation and characterisation of nanoporous materials."

Dr. Schofield's research spans the intersection of materials science and cultural heritage conservation, with particular expertise in synchrotron radiation techniques applied to archaeological materials. Her work focuses on the conservation challenges of the Mary Rose, Henry VIII's flagship that sank in 1545 and was raised in 1982. She has pioneered innovative approaches to address sulfur and iron corrosion in waterlogged wood using nanotechnology, including the development of magnetic polymer treatments that can be directed to specific areas of the ship's hull using external magnetic fields.

Her recent publications demonstrate a strong focus on understanding the fundamental mechanisms of wood degradation in marine environments, moisture dynamics during conservation drying processes, and advanced analytical techniques for characterizing archaeological materials. The work employs sophisticated methods including synchrotron X-ray diffraction, tomography, and absorption spectroscopy to address conservation challenges at the molecular level.

Scientific Recognition:

• Selected as one of the Royal Society of Chemistry's 175 Faces of Chemistry (2015)

Schofield has established significant collaborative networks across multiple institutions including the University of Glasgow (working with Serena Corr on sulfur analysis), University of Birmingham (collaborating with Rachel O'Reilly on polymer development), University College London, and the National Physical Laboratory. Her work has been instrumental in the ongoing conservation of the Mary Rose hull and its 19,000+ artifacts since she joined the Trust in 2012, particularly during the critical drying phase that began in 2013.

She has delivered numerous public lectures including at the Royal Society of Chemistry and New Scientist Live, helping to bridge the gap between advanced materials science and public understanding of cultural heritage conservation.