Dr Cathy Foley AO PSM

Australia's Chief Scientist

Keynote presentation: The role of critical minerals in achieving net zero

Dr Cathy Foley AO PSM commenced as Australia’s ninth Chief Scientist in January 2021 after an extensive career at Australia’s national science agency, the CSIRO.

Dr Foley is an internationally recognised physicist with major research achievements in superconductors and sensors which lead to the development of the LANDTEM™ sensor system to locate valuable deposits of minerals deep underground, resulting in discoveries and delineation of minerals worth more than $6 billion.

Dr Foley’s scientific excellence and influential leadership have been recognised with numerous awards and fellowships, including election to the Australian Academy of Science in 2020, along with an Order of Australia for service to research science and to the advancement of women in physics. She is also a Fellow of Australian Academy of Technological Science and Engineering (2008) and an honorary Fellow of Australian Institute of Physics (2019).

Dr Foley is an inspiration to women in STEM across the globe and is committed to tackling gender equality and diversity in the science sector to embrace the full human potential of all.