معرفی
Kirsi Lorentz is a Professor affiliated with The Cyprus Institute's Science and Technology in Archaeology and Culture Research Center (STARC). She holds leadership roles as Vice-Chair of the BEATS project steering committee and Cyprus delegate to SESAME synchrotron initiatives. With a PhD from the University of Cambridge (2004), her research focuses on synchrotron-based bioarchaeology and ancient human tissue analysis. Key projects include BioMERA (microCT infrastructure) and FF-MAC (ancient life storytelling). She supervises five PhD students and collaborates internationally on SESAME beamline development and heritage science initiatives.
Education: PhD in Human Bioarchaeology, University of Cambridge (Trinity College, 2004). Previous roles include Director of the Wolfson Bioarchaeology Lab at Newcastle University and Chair of CyI's Faculty Council.
Research interests center on synchrotron radiation techniques applied to ancient human tissues (bone, hair, teeth), with emphases on heavy metal exposure and paleopathology. Projects span Cyprus, Iraq, Syria, and Iran, employing cutting-edge imaging methods like SR-microXRF and holographic tomography. She leads international collaborations on SESAME synchrotron facilities and promotes science-policy integration for cultural heritage preservation.
Grants include BioMERA (€1M, 2019–2023) and FF-MAC (€1M+, 2019–2022), focusing on infrastructure development and public engagement. She chairs Cyprus delegations to SESAME and ESUO, and leads the IAEA-SESAME training program. Her work bridges archaeology, biomedicine, and technology, emphasizing interdisciplinary approaches to ancient lifeways.
Labs/Teams: Active at ESRF, SESAME, and PSI synchrotron facilities; oversees CyI's BioMERA platform. Current research includes osteobiographies of ancient Cypriots and SESAME beamline applications for tomography.
