As an art historian and archaeologist, I specialize in the material culture of the ancient Roman Empire, with a particular focus on how monuments shaped cultural memory and identity. My research examines how visual and textual representations—especially in the form of imperial portraiture—communicated political and social ideologies, and how these monuments functioned as vehicles for both personal and collective memory in the Roman world.

Currently, I am completing my dissertation, "What’s in a Face?: Representation and Ideology in Roman Imperial Portraiture, 193-284 CE." This work investigates the relationship between memory and imperial portrait monuments. I explore how imperial portrait statues, particularly from the third century CE, served not only as representations of individual emperors but also as tools of political and social persuasion. This was a period of significant transformation in the Roman Empire, marked by political, social, and military upheaval. During this time, imperial portraiture became a dynamic medium for communicating imperial authority and identity.

My approach is interdisciplinary, drawing on art history, archaeology, philology, philosophy, cognitive neuroscience, and spatial analysis. In particular, I focus on how the physiognomies of imperial portrait statues were manipulated, considering how these changes reflect broader shifts in Roman memory practices and ideologies. Modern cognitive neuroscience has shown that faces are central to human identity perception, and I apply this concept to understand how the Roman public engaged with portrait statues as visual cues of imperial legitimacy. Through this lens, I explore how imperial portraits were strategically designed to influence memory and perception, ensuring the emperor’s image would endure through generations.

At a broader level, my dissertation also addresses the larger question of how societies—ours included—use strategies to preserve memory. What narratives are worth remembering, and how are they shaped by those who wish to preserve them? By examining imperial portraiture within the framework of Roman memory theories, my research contributes to a deeper understanding of how visual culture in antiquity interacted with Roman notions of time, legacy, and political authority. My work has been supported by several fellowships and grants, including the Graduate Research Abroad Fellowship (short- and long-term) from Boston University, the BU Arts Initiative Graduate Research Grant, the Lemmermann Foundation, and the Mark Mobius Student Research and Travel Endowment Fund.

Beyond my dissertation, I am also interested in the intersection of visual culture, memory, and identity in ancient and medieval Mediterranean societies, as well as the methodological challenges of combining archaeological material, ancient texts, and modern cognitive science in the study of the past.

In addition to my research, I am an active museum professional. I have worked with institutions such as the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum, Tufts University Art Galleries, and the Princeton University Art Museum. In 2021, I served as the Stavros Niarchos Fellow in Classical Art at the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston. I have also contributed to archaeological excavations across the Mediterranean, including the Gabii Project (Italy), the Azoria Project (Crete, Greece), the Morgantina South Baths Project (Sicily, Italy), and the Omrit Excavation Project (Golan Heights, Israel). Additionally, I worked as a ceramics assistant during a study season with the French Excavation at Bi’r Samut (Dendara, Egypt).

Through my research and fieldwork, I aim to deepen our understanding of how ancient visual culture shaped memory, identity, and power, and how these practices can inform modern discussions of memory and legacy.