About me
Francesca Casadio is the founder of the scientific research laboratory at the Art Institute of Chicago, where she currently holds the post of Vice President and Grainger Executive Director of Conservation and Science. In this capacity she leads a team of over thirty specialists for the conservation and material study of objects, paintings, frames, works on paper, photographs, books, other printed materials, textiles, time-based media, and scientific research. She is also the founding member and co-director of the Northwestern University / Art Institute of Chicago Center for Scientific Studies in the Arts.
Francesca received her PhD and MS degrees in Chemistry from the University of Milan, Italy and in 2019 was awarded an honorary doctorate from the Sorbonne University in Paris. In both her academic and museum work Francesca is particularly proud of training women scientists for careers in museums, industry and academia. In 2006 she was the recipient of the L’Oréal Art and Science of Color Silver Prize.
