Carolina Castellanos studied conservation of movable heritage in the Escuela Nacional de Conservación (Mexico) and did postgraduate studies in Anthropology and Archaeology from UNAM (Mexico).

For over 30 years, she has been a consultant for international heritage organizations, including UNESCO’s World Heritage Centre, ICCROM, ICOMOS, IUCN, WHITRAP, World Monuments Fund and the Getty Conservation Institute, as well as national government agencies, on a variety of issues ranging from the design of management systems to cultural heritage policy. She has lead heritage planning initiatives in efforts to integrate heritage places as drivers and contributors for sustainable development as well as field conservation projects in different parts of the world. She was World Heritage Advisor for ICOMOS, focusing mainly on the state of conservation and management of World Heritage properties around the globe, for which she has carried out several reactive monitoring and technical assistance missions. She has taught heritage management and conservation planning, as well as World Heritage systems, processes, and the work of the Advisory Bodies in multiple regional and international courses. She continues to be involved in initiatives related to sustainable development, climate change, management systems and governance and capacity building and development worldwide.

She is currently Adjunct Associate professor at the postgraduate master program in historic Preservation at the Graduate School of Architecture, Planning and Preservation, in Columbia University, New York.