Dr. Carolina Cardell received her Bachelor Science (1989) and Ph.D. (1998) degrees in Geology at the University of Granada (UGR) in Spain. In 1992 she obtained a Master Science in Protection of the Cultural Heritage at the UGR. Since 2001 she has been Professor of Geology at the University of Jaén (Spain) and at the UGR. Since 2009 she is Tenured Professor at the Dept. of Mineralogy and Petrology at the UGR. She was postdoctoral researcher (1998-2000) at the Micro and Trace Analysis Center (MiTAC)-Dept. of Chemistry at the University of Antwerp (Belgium) in the framework of the European Project “Sea-Salt Control in Monuments” (FP4). She has been invited researcher at several Universities in France, Greece, Bulgaria and Spain. Her scientific expertise in the field of Cultural Heritage focused on the characterization of historical/archaeological materials and their degradation, in particular: 1) paintings, considering the interaction of their constituents under atmospheric pollution, 2) architectural ceramics specifically of the Alhambra monument, 3) the archaeometry and chronology of rammed earth construction of the Medieval Nasrid kingdom in Al-Andalus; 4) analysis of carbonate stones and weathering forms due to air contamination.

She has participated/leaded in 27 national and international research projects. She is the responsible of the Scientific Research Unit of Excellence of the UGR “Science in the Alhambra”. She is co-author of more than 60 papers indexed in SCI-JCR journals (h-index: 22), and more than 120 contributions to international and Spanish conferences, book chapters, and books. She has been associated editor of journals such as “The Open Spectroscopy Journal” and “Minerals”, and long-term member of the Expertise network in Cultural and Natural Heritage (Technoheritage) of Spain (2012). Since 2001 she teaches “Analytical Techniques” in the Faculty of Fine Art in the UGR, and in various official Master at the UGR (Archaeology; Conservation and Restoration of canvas paintings; Science and Technology of the Architectural Heritage). She has been advisor of 5 PhD thesis, 30 Master Sc., and coordinator of conferences, courses and exhibitions of the Institute for Conservation and Restoration of Cultural Heritage (ICON-CICOP 2014-17). She received the prize of the UGR (2018) for her work devoted to knowledge outreach.