Trustees

Our trustees are responsible for the strategic direction of the Forum, identifying opportunities for the development and growth of the Forum, ensuring that it complies with its governing document and that it applies its resources to the pursuit of its charitable purpose for public good.
 

Trustees

Kutsi Akcicek

Kutsi is a DPhil candidate in the Department of Engineering Science at the University of Oxford. His research focusses on using the non-destructive technique of acoustic emission testing in order to determine the location of, and monitor the progression of, oxide jacking within historic masonry buildings. He has undertaken several short- and medium-term internships, as well as volunteered with, heritage organisations across the country including the National Trust, Natural History Museum, Oxford, Bentley Priory Museum, and the Ure Museum of Greek Archaeology. He also served as the Vice-President of the Imperial College Turkish Society during the final year of his undergraduate degree.

Dr Alex Ball

Alex Ball is the former Head of Imaging and Analysis at The Natural History Museum. He has a particular interest in non-destructive imaging and analysis and a background in 3D imaging and data analysis. He has published extensively on new methodologies in imaging, particularly focussing on SEM and confocal microscopy. Alex is chair of the Society for Electron Microscope Technology, is co-chair of the RMS Education and Outreach Committee and former RMS trustee. He also coordinates the Hitachi STEM Education Outreach Project in the UK with his colleague James Perkins. This award-winning scheme sends portable SEMs into secondary schools to facilitate student-led research and STEM training for teachers.

Nancy Bell

Understanding the power of science and technology to better preserve, access and interpret collections, is central to the many roles Nancy Bell has held. She was recently a Research Associate, Oxford University, where she developed protocols to better translate research to policy and practice for the heritage sector. Prior to this she has served in different capacities at the National Trust; National Archives and Record Administration, USA; and was Head of Collection Care, The National Archives, UK. She was on the advisory board of the AHRC/EPSRC Heritage Science Advisory Board, and is currently Chair, Idlewild Trust.

Professor Chris Gaffney (Chair)

Chris Gaffney is a Professor of Archaeological Science at the University of Bradford. He has a research background in archaeological geophysics and digital recording. Having spent 20 years in commercial geophysics he returned to academia in 2007. He has held various leadership roles including 16 months seconded as Pro Vice Chancellor for Research and Innovation at the University of Bradford. He is a founder member of the International Society for Archaeological Prospection (ISAP) and has held many positions in the society, including Chair. Currently he is the co-chair of the European Archaeological Consortium Working Group on Remote Sensing. He edited the Journal Archaeological Prospection between 2004-2018. Chris was the academic recipient of a Queen's Anniversary Prize for Higher and Further Education in 2021.

Professor Adam Gibson

Adam Gibson is a medical physicist and heritage scientist based at University College London. As a medical physicist he has used various imaging techniques to examine breast cancer, brain activity, bleeds in the brains of premature babies. In heritage sciences, he mainly uses multispectral, hyperspectral and x-ray flourescence imaging, and advanced image analysis methods, to study books, paintings and manuscripts.  

Professor Josep Grau-Bové

Josep Grau-Bové is Director of the Institute for Sustainable Heritage (ISH) at University College London, where he is a Professor of Heritage Science. His research specialises in preventive conservation, with a particular focus on computational approaches to understanding environments and their management. He has led major training initiatives in the sector, notably the MSc in Data Science for Cultural Heritage and the MSc in Sustainable Heritage. Alongside his simulation work, Josep is strongly committed to field-based teaching and research, regularly working with students in historic houses and leading citizen science projects. He is a member of the College of Experts of DCMS and has been involved in a range of research projects, such as ERIHS, and recently GreenHer (EC), ITHACA (AHRC) and the Getty Art and Sustainability Fellowships.

Dr Freya Horsfield

Freya is an evidence professional, specialising in strategy, policy and programme-level investment. Her collaboration, management, and delivery experience in multi-stakeholder environments includes service as an AHRC Infrastructure Policy and Engagement Fellow, as part of the AHRC-led team which developed the case for UK investment in heritage science via the RICHeS programme.

Virginia Phillips

Virginia is a chartered mechanical engineer and member of the Institution of Engineering Technology. Her career spans more than 30 years, encompassing advisory, corporate, media and entrepreneurial sectors, most recently in finance for FTSE 100 companies. She has worked for the BBC making science programmes for Radio 4 and the World Service, and is passionate about communicating science to a broad audience. Currently, she is developing a non-executive portfolio career and undertaking voluntary work, including at her local heritage railway.

Dr Paola Ricciardi

Paola is a research, impact and engagement professional and has held a variety of roles in the heritage sector. She trained as a heritage scientist in Italy and worked in France and the US before moving to the UK in 2011 to set up an analytical lab for the Fitzwilliam Museum in Cambridge. She was an NHSF Trustee between 2017 and 2020, representing the University of Cambridge Museums on the Board. She has held roles at the Royal Society and IROC, and recently worked at the Natural History Museum in London, managing the museum's strategic partnership with the University of Reading. Paola is passionate about truly collaborative and interdisciplinary work, and continues to undertake research and engagement at the interface between heritage collections, science, history and digital humanities.

Sophie Yana

Sophie's professional career spans data analytics, strategy, operations, and finance, primarily within the tech industry. Currently, she works in Business Finance for Google's UK & Ireland ads business, where she focuses on strategic financial planning and building data-driven insights to guide the UK & Ireland leadership team’s decision-making. Prior to this, she held various roles in strategy, operations, and data analytics for large-scale consumer products at Google, including YouTube.
Originally from France and based in London, Sophie holds degrees in Mathematics, Computer Science, and Finance. She has consistently sought to bridge her interest in science and technology with her deep passion for the arts, notably by working on parallel projects focused on marketing insights for Google Arts & Culture. She brings governance experience from her role as a Trustee for the music education charity Apollo Music Projects, where she has served since January 2024. Sophie is dedicated to applying her commercial expertise to support the NHSF’s mission of caring for cultural heritage through science and technology.