Eric J. Henderson

Manager, Conservation Science Division

Main areas of work and/or specializations

• artists’ materials
• Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy
• Raman spectroscopy
• scanning electron microscopy energy dispersive X-ray spectrometry (SEM-EDS)

Biography

Eric Henderson earned a B.Sc. (Hons) in Chemistry from McGill University in 2004 and a Ph.D. in Inorganic Chemistry, specializing in the synthesis and characterization of nanomaterials, from the University of Alberta in 2009. He then undertook a Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council post-doctoral fellowship in the Chemistry Department at the University of Toronto, working extensively in polymer and nanomaterial synthesis, surface chemistry, and hybrid material and nanocomposite development, all within the framework of developing materials with tailored electrochemical, physicochemical, optical and mechanical properties. Following his post-doctoral tenure, Eric led the development and commercialization of photonic materials with tunable structural colours in a technology start-up company for several years. He has numerous publications and holds several patents on the synthesis, characterization and applications of nanomaterials.

Eric joined the Canadian Conservation Institute (CCI) in 2015 as a conservation scientist. In this position, he worked on the materials analysis of a variety of museum and cultural heritage objects. His research interests included modern materials and non-invasive vibrational spectroscopy for the on-site analysis of heritage objects.

Eric has also taken on management roles at CCI in three different divisions, most recently becoming the manager of the Conservation Science Division in 2021. In this role, he seeks to redevelop a vision and strategy for conservation science at CCI, to reorient research and services, to increase outreach and to explore opportunities for collaboration with internal and external stakeholders.