Our Team

Director

Associate Professor Carl Spandler, School of Physical Sciences

A recognised leading researcher in critical minerals geoscience in Australia, Carl has a background in both basic and industry focused research, and a solid record of research funding from the ARC, industry and government.

He was appointed in 2020 under The University of Adelaide’s Top Talent Program to develop and grow research initiatives in critical minerals science. The program, which is part of the university’s strategic plan ‘Future Making’, is designed to attract new high-performing, world-leading researchers across a range of areas to Adelaide. Before this, Carl was co-director of the Economic Geology Research Centre at James Cook University.

Deputy Director

Professor Nigel Cook, School of Civil, Environmental and Mining Engineering

Nigel has a substantial record delivering industry-ready research that spans the geochemistry-mineralogy-processing nexus. He specialises in complex ore deposits and has secured multiple millions of dollars in research funding to investigate the mineralogy of complex ores.

He is director of the ARC Research Hub for Australian Copper-Uranium and the PRIF industry consortium Unlocking Complex Resources Through Lean Processing.

Together, Nigel and Carl have published the majority of papers on Australian rare earth element ore systems.

Researchers

Chemical Engineering and Advanced Materials

Researcher	Expertise	Programs
Dr Cristiana Ciobanu	Iron-oxide mineralogy Genesis of ore deposits Developing new mineral geochronometers Rocks and minerals at the nanoscale using transmission electron microscopy	Mineralogy
Professor Nigel Cook, Deputy Director, Australian Critical Minerals Research Centre	Research at the geochemistry-mineralogy-minerals processing nexus Sulphide mineralogy Uranium mineralogy and geochemistry Ore characterisation	Mineralogy Processing and recovery
Adjunct Professor Kathy Ehrig, also Metallurgy Superintendent at BHP Olympic Dam	Discovery of metalliferous ore deposits Geometallurgy Sustainable productivity improvement in producing marketable metals Identifying new revenue metals (e.g. green technology critical metals)	Mineralogy
Professor Volker Hessel	Chemical engineering design Manufacturing processes and technologies In situ resource utilisation (ISRU) Space chemical processes and manufacturing	Processing and recovery
Associate Professor Yung Ngothai, Deputy Head of School of Chemical Engineering and Advanced Materials	Mineral science and minerals processing Recovery of valuable minerals and metals from brines Nanotechnology and materials engineering	Processing and recovery

Physical Sciences

Researcher	Expertise	Programs
Professor Alan Collins	Palaeomagnetism Structural geology Geochronology Sedimentology	Discovery
Professor Martin Hand	Metamorphic petrology Ore deposit formation Geochemical exploration Economic geology Crustal heat production Tectonics	Discovery Mineralogy
Dr Juraj Farkas	Biogeochemistry Non-traditional isotopes Stable isotope systems of alkaline earth metals	Discovery
Associate Professor Stijn Glorie	Multi-method thermochronology Determining the timing of the formation of continents, mountain building, and sedimentary basin formation	Discovery Mineralogy
Associate Professor Tony Hooker, Director Centre for Radiation Research, Education and Innovation	Radioactivity and matter Radiation safety and protection Radiation detection, gamma spectroscopy, alpha scintillation	Processing and recovery
Associate Professor Rosalind King, Head of Department of Earth Sciences	Structural geology Tectonics Petroleum geomechanics	Discovery
Professor Graham Heinson	Geophysics Crustal structure Ore deposits	Discovery
Dr Richard Lilly	Ore deposit formation Geochemical exploration Economic geology	Discovery
Dr Derrick Hasterok	Geophysics Geochemical exploration Crustal heat flow Plate tectonics	Discovery
Dr Diana Zivak	Ore deposit formation Geochemical exploration Economic geology Rare earth element mineralisation	Discovery Mineralogy
Dr Lucy McGee	Ore deposit genesis Volcanology Developing metal isotopes for mineral prospectivity	Discovery Mineralogy
Dr Laura Morrissey	Geochronology Understanding the metamorphic character of regions	Discovery
Associate Professor Carl Spandler, Director, Australian Critical Minerals Research Centre	Petrology and geochemistry Evolution of Earth’s crust and mantle Microanalysis of minerals Rare earth elements Lithium pegmatites	Discovery Mineralogy
Adjunct Professor Nigel Spooner	Fibre optic and imaging for environmental dosimetry Natural radiation fields Radiation detection technology development	Mineralogy Processing
Dr Jarred Lloyd	Geochronology Sedimentology Lithium pegmatites	Discovery Mineralogy
Dr Jessica Walsh	Geochronology and tectonic Unconformity REE deposits	Discovery Mineralogy
Dr Adam Abersteiner	Mineralogy and petrology Kimberlites and alkaline magmatism Ni + PGE ore deposits	Discovery Mineralogy
Dr Fun Meeuws	Isotope geochemistry Alkaline magmatism Rare metal mineralisation	Discovery Mineralogy
Dr Stefan Loehr	Clay mineralogy Low-temperature geochemistry Clay-hosted REE deposits	Discovery Mineralogy
Mr Darwin Subarkah	Geochronology Sedimentology Sediment-hosted mineral deposits	Discovery
Prof. Allan Pring	Mineralogical research on minerals, particularly sulfide minerals Mineral formation by hydrothermal processes Neutron and x-ray diffraction	Mineralogy Processing

Research and innovation

Researcher	Expertise	Programs
Professor Mike Goodsite, Director Institute for Sustainability, Energy and Resources	In situ resource utilisation (ISRU) Civil and environmental engineering	Processing and recovery

Outreach

The goal of outreach activities is to raise awareness of critical minerals, their vital role in contemporary life, and the major opportunities that they offer for economic development in South Australia and the nation.

The South Australian Museum is a partner of the centre. The museum has a world-class minerals collection containing more than 1500 mineral species, including specimins from many of South Australia’s mineral deposits. It plays an important role in engagement and education for the centre by showcasing collections to the general public, including schools.

Facilities

The centre has access to analytical facilities and laboratories, including at:

Background

The Australian Critical Mineral Research Centre is an initiative of the Institute for Sustainability, Energy and Resources (ISER) and the Deputy Vice-Chancellor and Vice-President (Research) (DVC&VP(R)) at The University of Adelaide.

It has strong support from the SA Department of Energy and Minerals, and the backing of the South Australian Chamber of Mines and Energy (SACOME), the leading industry body representing the resources sector in South Australia.