Elisabetta ZENDRI

Full Professor at Ca’ Foscari University of Venice (Department of Environmental Sciences, Informatics and Statistics). She graduated in Industrial Chemistry from Ca’ Foscari University of Venice.

She is Coordinator of Curriculum 7 – Contemporary Art within the National PhD Programme in Heritage Science and a member of the Heritage Science PhD Academic Board.
She teaches the course “Science for the Conservation of Cultural Heritage” and the “Cultural Heritage Science Laboratory” course (Bachelor’s Degree Programme in Science and Technology for Cultural Heritage).
She teaches the course “The Materiality of Contemporary Art” within the National PhD Programme in Heritage Science.

From 2017 to 2023: Coordinator of the Master’s Degree Programme in Conservation Science and Technology for Cultural Heritage (Ca’ Foscari University of Venice).
From 2015 to 2017: Coordinator of the Bachelor’s Degree Programme in Technologies for Conservation and Restoration (Ca’ Foscari University of Venice).

She is a member of the Research Committee of the Department of Environmental Sciences, Informatics and Statistics.
She is a member of the Executive Board of the Department of Environmental Sciences, Informatics and Statistics.

Since 2025: President-elect of the Division of Environmental and Cultural Heritage Chemistry of the Italian Chemical Society.

Since 2024: Coordinator of the ICOMOS CIF International Scientific Committee on Education and Training.

She is the Scientific Coordinator of the research line “Tangible Cultural Heritage vs Sustainable Tourism”, PE5 CHANGES, SPOKE 9 – CULTURAL RESOURCES FOR SUSTAINABLE TOURISM, National Recovery and Resilience Plan (NRRP) 2022–2025.
She was Principal Investigator of the ISMEE project (FISR–Covid-19–MUR), “Impacts of Anti-Covid-19 Sanitisation in Museums and Ecclesiastical Environments.”

She was Principal Investigator of a Research Unit in the following projects:

INTERREG ADRION APPRODI
INTERREG ADRION APPRODI PLUS
“Venice 2021: Scientific Research Programme for a Regulated Lagoon”
EU-JPI EMERISDA, “Effectiveness of Methods Against Rising Damp in Buildings: European Practice and Perspective”
“Tintoretto” research project, funded by Venice in Peril (2018–2019)
INTERREG IT-SLO “Shared Culture”
FIRB, “New Technologies for the Knowledge, Conservation and Enhancement of Ceramic, Glass and Mosaic Materials in the Mediterranean Area”
PRIN, “Materials and Technologies for the Conservation of Modern Mural Painting”
PRIN, “Behaviour of Polymeric Pictorial Films and Methods for Conservation.”
She participates in the JPI-CH ATLAS project, “Studying Symbiotic Scenarios Linking Heritage Assets and Green Areas to Prepare Historic Cities to Face Climate Changes” (2024–2027).

She participated in the EU ELAICH project, “Educational Linkage Approach in Cultural Heritage,” and in the project “Systematization, Valorisation and Dissemination of e-Learning Courses in Conservation Science” (LLP EAC 61/2006, ERASMUS MP/VC).

She was in charge of the “Thor” and “Torcello” projects, funded by Ca’ Foscari University.

She was in charge of the “Tintoretto” project, funded by Venice in Peril (2017).

Since 2025: Member of the Scientific Committee of the Congress of Environmental and Cultural Heritage Chemistry (Italian Chemical Society).

2024: Member of the Scientific Committee of the ICOMOS CIF International Workshop “Peace and War: Educating for Preservation or Reconstruction?”

2024: Member of the Scientific Committee of the international workshop “The Veil of Time. Conservation of Historical-Artistic Assets in the Mediterranean Area. Experiences and Collaborations between Italy, North Africa and the Near East.”

Since 2023: Member of the Scientific Committee of the International Conference on World Heritage and Contemporary Architecture (ICWHCA).

Since 2023: Member of the Scientific Committee of the International Conference TMM_CH 2023 – Transdisciplinary Multispectral Modelling and Cooperation for the Preservation of Cultural Heritage.

2022: Member of the Scientific Committee of the 19th Congress of Environmental and Cultural Heritage Chemistry (Italian Chemical Society).

2022: Member of the Scientific Committee of the International Symposium CONSOLIDATION.

2021–2022: Member of the Scientific Committee of Green Conservation of Cultural Heritage.

2021: Member of the International Steering Committee of the 2nd International Conference TMM-CH – Transdisciplinary Multispectral Modelling and Cooperation for the Preservation of Cultural Heritage.

2020–2021: Member of the Scientific Committee of the International Congress on Consolidation.

2019: Member of the Scientific Committee of the TechnoHeritage 2019 International Congress.

2018: Member of the Scientific Committee of the International Congress on Colour and Conservation.

2018: Member of the Steering Committee of Transdisciplinary Multispectral Modelling and Cooperation for the Preservation of Cultural Heritage.

2015–2017: Member of the Scientific Committee of the International Workshop on Green Conservation of Cultural Heritage.

Since 2011: Member of the Scientific Committee of the “Science and Cultural Heritage” International Conference.

From 2012 to 2016: Member of the Advisory Committee of the international journal Conservation Science in Cultural Heritage.

Since 2022: Member of the Editorial Board of the journal Heritage (MDPI).

2026: Guest Editor of the Special Collection “Environmental and Cultural Heritage Chemistry” in ChemPlusChem (Wiley).

2023–2026: Guest Editor of the Special Issue “Preservation of Cultural Heritage: The Nexus of Diagnosis-Prevention-Sustainability” in Heritage (MDPI).

2021: Guest Editor of the Special Issue “Transdisciplinary Multispectral Modelling and Cooperation for the Preservation of Cultural Heritage” in Heritage (MDPI).

2018: Guest Editor of the Special Issue “Sustainability, Management, and Conservation of Built and Archaeological Heritage” in Heritage.

2018: Guest Editor of the Special Issue “Scanning in Diagnostics and Novel Solutions for the Protection of Built Heritage” in Scanning.

She was Coordinator of the Technical-Scientific Group responsible for drafting the Action Plan for Trajectory 6, TECHNOLOGIES FOR THE CONSERVATION OF CULTURAL HERITAGE, within the TICHE National Technology Cluster.

She was a member of the Advisory and Coordination Group of the Department for Higher Education and Research for the new NATIONAL RESEARCH PROGRAMME (PNR), concerning national proposals and strategies and Horizon Europe 2021–2027 (DPFSR Group for PNR & HE ’21–’27), representing the INSTM Consortium.

She was Scientific Coordinator of the Programme Agreement between the Municipality of Venice, Ca’ Foscari University and IUAV for the establishment of a new research centre for the development of new technologies for the conservation and restoration of Venice’s cultural heritage – Pact for the Development of the City of Venice.

She is Scientific Coordinator of research activities carried out in collaboration with the Fondazione Musei Civici di Venezia (Ca’ Pesaro International Gallery of Modern Art).

She was Scientific Coordinator of research activities carried out in collaboration with the Superintendency of Fine Arts and Landscape for Venice and the Lagoon, the Italian Institute of Technology (IIT – Genoa), and Elettra – Sincrotrone Trieste S.C.p.A.

She was a member of the Innovation Committee of the Veneto Cultural Heritage Metadistrict, representing Ca’ Foscari University of Venice.

She has served as a reviewer for Elettra Sincrotrone Trieste for scientific projects in the field of Cultural Heritage since 2016.

She is registered with REPRISE (the register of scientific experts established by the Italian Ministry of Education, Universities and Research), Basic Research section.

She is a member of the National Interuniversity Consortium of Materials Science and Technology (INSTM).

She is a member of the Italian Chemical Society, Environment and Cultural Heritage Division.

She is a member of the ICOMOS-CIF International Council on Monuments and Sites.

She is a member of the Italian Association of Archaeometry (AIAr).

She is registered with the Order of Chemists and Physicists of the Province of Venice.

2026: Invited speaker at the Risk Summer School 2026 – Climate Change Effects and Risk Management on Cultural Heritage: Sustainability and Resilience (Université Grenoble Alpes).

2026: Invited speaker at the National University of Architecture and Construction of Armenia (NUACA), delivering a seminar on “Scientific Approach to the Conservation of Historical Buildings.”

2025: Invited speaker at the Workshop Action 2020-2-21: Copernicus for Cultural Heritage Summer School.

2025: Invited speaker at the 4th International Conference TMM-CH 2025.

2024: Invited speaker at the ICOMOS CIF International Workshop “Peace and War: Educating for Preservation or Reconstruction?”

2023: Invited speaker at the Summer School Workshop Action 2020-2-21: Copernicus for Cultural Heritage.

2023: Invited speaker at the 3rd International Conference TMM-CH 2023.

2022: Invited speaker at the Capacity Building Workshop on Conservation Strategy and Management Plans, Armenia.

2021: Lecturer at the 6th National School of Environmental and Cultural Heritage Chemistry (Ca’ Foscari University of Venice).

2018: Invited speaker at the international meeting “Cherishing Heritage: Developing Quality Standards for Intervention on Cultural Heritage,” organised by the European Commission in collaboration with ICOMOS, UNESCO, ICCROM, ICOM, Europa Nostra, EYCH, CEN and the European Heritage Heads Legal Forum.

2018: Invited professor in Stanford University’s Bing Overseas Program, “Heritage of the Serenissima: An Archaeo-Historic Tour at the Heart of the Venetian Empire,” Venice.

2016: Invited speaker as part of the Heritage365 events at the Italian Embassy in New Delhi.

2015: Lecturer at the 4th National School of Environmental and Cultural Heritage Chemistry (University of Salerno).

2015: Invited speaker at the 2nd Summer School ITN-DCH, Initial Training Network for Digital Cultural Heritage (Rhodes, Greece).

2013: Invited speaker at UNSAM, University of Buenos Aires, for a series of seminars on “Conservation of Contemporary Mural Paintings.”

2012: Invited speaker at the LimesNet – Composites & NanoMaterials Workshop, University of Bath (UK).

2011, 2012 and 2014: Invited speaker at the 27th, 28th and 30th “Science and Cultural Heritage” International Conferences.

2011: Invited speaker at the workshop “Diagnostics in Cultural Heritage” at the Accademia dei Lincei in Rome.

2011: Lecturer at the 2nd National School of Environmental and Cultural Heritage Chemistry (University of Venice).

2009: Invited professor at the “Indo-Italian Workshop on Mural Paintings” at the INTACH Indian Council of Conservation Institutes in New Delhi, India.

She was Coordinator and lecturer within the project “Professional Training of Experts in the Field of Contemporary Art Restoration” (European Social Fund Operational Programme 2007–2013).

She has taught and continues to teach in numerous professional and advanced training courses in the field of Cultural Heritage in Italy and abroad.

She serves as a referee for scientific journals including Journal of Cultural Heritage, Construction & Building Materials, Coatings, Journal of Architectural Conservation, Analytica Chimica Acta, Heritage, Scanning, Frontiers in Materials and Sustainability.

She has delivered numerous seminars at various universities and international research centres and has taught in numerous advanced training courses and postgraduate specialisation schools in Italy and abroad.

Her scientific activity has been accompanied by collaborative work on conservation and restoration projects in her capacity as an expert in diagnostics and restoration. She has served on committees conducting studies and research on artefacts of particular historical and architectural interest in Italy and abroad. In 2023, she participated in conservation projects concerning two UNESCO sites: the archaeological area of Hegra (Saudi Arabia) and Geghard Monastery (Armenia).

She is the author of more than 200 publications in scientific journals and international conference proceedings.