معرفی
Signe Vahur is an Associate Professor of Analytical and Physical Chemistry at the University of Tartu's Institute of Chemistry, leading the Cultural Heritage Research Group under the Analytical Chemistry Department. She specializes in conservation science and analysis of cultural materials using advanced instrumentation such as ATR-FT-IR spectroscopy. Her roles include academic teaching, project management, and supervision of graduate students.
Education: PhD in Analytical Chemistry (2010, University of Tartu), MSc and BSc in Chemical Physics (2005/2003). Her research focuses on material characterization of art and archaeological objects, with expertise in pigment analysis and conservation materials. She has conducted projects on Baltic cultural heritage artifacts, including the Rode Altarpiece and medieval church pieces.
Research Interests: Her work integrates chemistry with art conservation, emphasizing non-destructive analytical techniques. Key areas include pigment identification, material degradation mechanisms, and the development of spectral databases for heritage science. She has pioneered the use of FT-IR spectroscopy in studying historical materials and co-led the MOOC 'Instrumental Analyses of Cultural Heritage Objects'.
Awards: Recipient of the 2017 EU/Europa Nostra Prize for the Rode Altarpiece research, Estonian Museum Awards (2016/2017), and multiple recognitions for student supervision. Active in international conferences (ASMS, TECHNART) and contributes to conservation organizations like ICOM-CC.
Grants & Projects: Led projects on Baltic cultural heritage preservation and participated in international collaborations. Organized workshops such as the 2017 Baltic Conservators' Workshop and 2014 Rode Altarpiece Investigation Program.
Labs/Teams: Oversees the heritage science lab at Tartu University, maintaining an online spectral database (spectra.chem.ut.ee) for conservation materials. Collaborates with the Conservation and Digitization Centre Kanut on artifact conservation.
