Maria Ximena Senatore Connolly has been working on archaeology in Antarctica for the last three decades. She is Deputy Scientific Director and Associate Professor at INCIPIT CSIC. She was a Distinguished Researcher at Universidad de Alicante (INAPH), Senior Researcher at National Council of Research (INAPL), Professor at the Universidad Nacional de la Patagonia Austral, and the Universidad de Buenos Aires.

With a degree in archaeology (Universidad de Buenos Aires) and a doctorate degree in history (Universidad de Valladolid), she is interested in understanding the human exploration and incorporation of remote lands into the modern and contemporary world. Her work has focused on questioning the master narratives of the Antarctic past and the theoretical conceptualizations of heritage conservation. Her research examines human-things relations in Antarctica past and present, with recent focus on informing sustainable and inclusive conservation policies and practices. In addition to her Antarctic work, her research areas include modern colonialism in Patagonia, theory in historical archaeology and heritage studies.