Introduction
The PBC is proud to announce the publication of Anne Titelbaum, Mary Lucking, and Cynthia Stadley’s article, “An arts-based approach for communicating paleopathological research to public audiences: the Phoenix Bioscience Core’s Artist + Researcher (ARx) program” in the STM-based database ScienceDirect for their collaboration in the Artist x Researcher cohort 2 (ARx2).
Their artwork, Message in a Bottle, translates Titelbaum’s research into a suite of ornamental metalwork. The central piece is a large necklace composed of thirteen medallions that visually narrate the stages of Titelbaum’s work in Peru, including travel, establishing a field camp, honoring ancestors, excavation, documentation, measurement, and data interpretation.
Accompanying pieces—a ring, brooch, hair ornament, and bracelet—represent additional aspects of her research and analytical process. The collection is intentionally displayed as if in a museum 500 years in the future, inviting viewers to interpret the objects much as archaeologists today interpret artifacts from the past, and emphasizing a continuous connection across time between ancient Peruvians, people living today, and future generations.
Lucking’s creative process was deeply informed by Titelbaum’s work as a biological anthropologist studying human remains and cultural objects preserved in Peru’s arid landscapes, particularly those of the Moche culture (ca. 100 BC–AD 700). Inspired by Moche metallurgy and visual storytelling, Lucking incorporated techniques and forms drawn from artifacts found at Sipán, including blue cloisonné echoing stone inlay, raised metal designs formed with modern equivalents of ancient methods, and references to early plating techniques pioneered by the Moche. The imagery on the necklace draws on Moche pottery and mural traditions that conveyed cultural meaning without the use of written language.
Beyond documenting the technical aspects of archaeological research, the artwork also reflects the values that guide Titelbaum’s work as both a researcher and educator—empathy, compassion, and curiosity—capturing not only what she does, but the spirit with which she approaches understanding past human lives.
Read their full publication here and learn more about the Artist x Researcher Program here.
Meet the Artist and Researcher:
Artist: Mary Lucking
Mary Lucking works primarily as a public artist, creating artworks that help people explore and understand the environments and communities where they live. Her work ranges from large-scale, permanent artworks to temporary interactive installations, and includes art incorporated into walking trails, transit stations, and neighborhood parks.
She also maintains a private studio practice, where she works with media and themes that don’t fit well into the structure of public art, such as small-scale work inspired by philosophical questions and emotional tensions. Her studio art is based in cloisonné — a meticulous craft where multiple layers of vitreous enamel are melted into finely-wrought wire designs.
Researcher: Anne Titelbaum
Anne Titelbaum is a biological anthropologist specializing in human skeletal anatomy, paleopathology, and bioarchaeology. Her primary area of investigation is Andean South America, with a focus on prehistoric populations from coastal and highland Peru. Her research interests include ancient disease, developmental conditions, traumatic injury, and musculoskeletal stress. She is an Associate Professor at the University of Arizona College of Medicine-Phoenix, where she teaches Clinical Anatomy to medical and allied health students. She has served as Treasurer and Board Member of the Paleopathology Association and is currently an Associate Editor for the International Journal of Paleopathology.
We are also very pleased and excited to announce the expansion of the Artist and Research Program to Philadelphia and Sacramento! Be on the lookout for these collaborations’ artwork!
About the Artist + Researcher Program
The Artist + Researcher program (ARx) pairs local Phoenix artists with researchers and scientists from Arizona State University, Northern Arizona University, The University of Arizona College of Medicine – Phoenix, the Translational Genomics Research Institute, and PBC biotech companies. Artists and researchers were paired into teams through a speed-dating style event in November 2023, where they ranked their preference of who they would like to work with. The PBC Arts Committee then used those rankings to finalize the teams. The ARx teams then worked together over the course of nine months to transform the groundbreaking life science research happening on the campus of the PBC into a variety of art mediums, including sculpture, painting, and digital. What emerged at the end are eight incredibly unique pieces of art.
About the Phoenix Bioscience Core
The Phoenix Bioscience Core (PBC) is a 30-acre life sciences innovation district located in downtown Phoenix. It hosts Arizona’s three public research universities—Arizona State University, Northern Arizona University, and the University of Arizona—as well as leading genomics pioneers like the Translational Genomics Research Institute (TGen), part of the City of Hope, and the International Genomics Consortium. The PBC also collaborates with major healthcare systems, including Banner Health, Phoenix Children’s Hospital, Dignity Health, HonorHealth, Phoenix VA, and Valleywise Health, alongside a growing number of emerging life science companies. This unique concentration of research scientists and healthcare professionals fosters unprecedented collaborations, advancing precision medicine from discovery to delivery. To learn more, please visit phoenixbiosciencecore.com.
By: Madisson Simental | January 8, 2026
PBC ARx
