Maria Perla Colombini currently holds the post of Full Professor of Analytical Chemistry at the Department of Chemistry (Faculty of Science) of the University of Pisa. Her teaching activities are related to the courses of Analytical Chemistry and Chemistry of Cultural Heritage. She is the Director of the University Master on “Materials and Diagnostic Techniques in the Cultural Heritage field”.
Her research activity is related to the development of analytical procedures based on spectroscopic and chromatographic techniques for the characterisation of micropollutants in the environment and, above all, of organic materials and their degradation products in works of art and archaeological objects.
She is leader of several national and international research projects for the safeguard of Cultural Heritage. She coordinates the research group of the Laboratory of Chemical Sciences for the Safeguard of Cultural Heritage and is specialised in the characterisation of binders, organic dyes and resins (varnishes, adhesives…) by chromatographic and mass-spectrometric techniques. She organized several Congresses and Schools of Chemistry in the Cultural Heritage field. She is in the directive staff of the Chemistry of Environment and Cultural Heritage of the Italian Chemical Society (SCI).
Her research has resulted in over 150 publications in refereed journals and books, and in over 200 lectures at national and international congresses.