Francesco Paolo Romano
Research Director - ISPC branch manager
Professional profile
Advanced X-ray Imaging (MA-XRF, MA-XRD, Confocal XRF) | Non-invasive Diagnostics for Cultural Heritage | Instrumental Development and Mobile Analytical Systems | Artificial Intelligence for Multimodal Spectroscopic Data | Characterization and Degradation Mechanisms of Historical Materials
Francesco Paolo Romano is Research Director at the CNR ISPC, Catania branch, where he leads XRAYLab, a laboratory devoted to the development of advanced methodologies based on X-ray techniques for the non-invasive diagnostics of cultural heritage.
His scientific activity has significantly contributed to advancing the state of the art in Heritage Science through the development of mobile X-ray imaging instrumentation (MA-XRF, MA-XRD, micro-XRF, confocal XRF, Full Field XRF) and innovative methodologies for the chemical and mineralogical analysis of archaeological artefacts and works of historical and artistic interest. Within his research, he has introduced original technological solutions that uniquely enable high-resolution, high-sensitivity X-ray imaging of elemental and mineral phase distributions directly in situ, extending applicability to stratigraphic structures and three-dimensional objects.
In recent years, he has developed a research line focused on integrating X-ray spectroscopy with artificial intelligence models for the processing of large XRF/XRD imaging datasets. These approaches introduce quantitative, reproducible, and scalable methodologies into heritage diagnostics.
He has coordinated and participated in numerous nationally and internationally funded research projects (including PNRR and H2020 programmes), holding scientific leadership roles. He has led more than one hundred in situ diagnostic campaigns in collaboration with major national and international museums and institutions, including the Egyptian Museum of Turin, the Museo di Capodimonte, the British Museum, and the National Archaeological Museum of Athens.
He is the author of an extensive body of peer-reviewed publications in international journals and serves on the Editorial Boards of international journals in the fields of X-ray spectrometry and Heritage Science. He has chaired and organized major international scientific conferences (TECHNART 2015, MA-XRF 2019, and EXRS 2026), contributing to the consolidation of the international scientific community in X-ray spectroscopy and imaging applied to cultural heritage.
CNR Disciplinary Fields and Research Management Sectors
- SH5 Cultures and Cultural Production
- PE4 Physical and Analytical Chemical Sciences
MUR Italian Scientific-Disciplinary Sector
- PHYS-06/A Physics for Life Sciences, the Environment, and Cultural Heritage
- CHEM-01/B Environmental and Cultural Heritage Chemistry
Groups & Labs CNR ISPC
XRAYLab →
