Virginie Renson

Virginie Renson
Instrument Scientist, Research Reactor Center (MURR)
Education

2012 PhD in Science, Vrije Universiteit Brussel, Brussels, Belgium

2006 MS in Geology, University of Liège, Liège, Belgium

1997 BA in Geography, University of Liège, Liège, Belgium

Research Focus

archaeometry, isotopic geochemistry,  provenance studies, sedimentology

My main domain of expertise is the application of isotopic geochemistry to trace human activities and the origin of archaeological and geological material. Over the past twenty years, I have contributed to a number of multidisciplinary projects in the fields of archaeometry, quaternary geology, and environmental studies making use of a broad range of analytical techniques in geochemistry and sedimentology. During the past ten years, I have specialized in the application of isotope analyses to trace the origin of ancient materials to contribute to our understanding of the emergence and development of human technology. One of my current research interests is the development of isotopic analyses (Pb, Sr, and Nd) to trace the origin of ancient ceramics. I am interested in the integration of the isotopic approach with long-established methods such as elemental chemistry and petrography to improve our capacity to identify raw materials and enhance our knowledge of their provenance and exchange. At MURR, I am also maintaining and operating the isotope laboratory, developing analytical protocols for isotope analyses, and operating our Nu Plasma II (Nu Instruments) multi-collector – inductively coupled plasma – mass spectrometer.