Keynote speaker: Life of Mine

Dr Emma Gagen

Director of Data and Research, ICMM

Emma joined ICMM in 2022 as the lead for the mine closure and water stewardship and later served as acting Director of the Environment portfolio. She is currently the Director, Data and Research, overseeing ICMM’s materials stewardship, tailings management and data portfolio. Prior to joining ICMM Emma was lead technical advisor in the Office of the Queensland Mine Rehabilitation Commissioner. leading research into best practice mine site rehabilitation. Before that she was a research fellow in geomicrobiology at the University of Queensland.

Her research has focused on biogeochemical processes, re-forming surface crusts in iron ore areas, addressing topsoil deficits in coal mine rehabilitation and other microbe-mineral interactions that are relevant for biotechnology and environmental sustainability in the mining industry. Emma has lectured in environmental management for mining and has also provided environmental microbiology consulting for the mining and agriculture sectors.

Emma has a BEnvSc (Hons I) and a PhD in microbial ecology from the University of Queensland, Australia. She is passionate about sustainability in the mining and agriculture sectors.