Dr Cathy Foley
Australia's Chief Scientist
Dr Foley commenced as Australia’s ninth Chief Scientist in January 2021.
Dr Foley was appointed to the role after a lengthy career at Australia’s
national science agency, the CSIRO; she was appointed as the agency’s Chief
Scientist in August 2018, the second woman to hold that role.
Dr Foley’s career in physics began with her PhD at Macquarie University on
the semiconductor indium nitride. She and her colleagues were one of the
first groups to carry out pioneering research that examined the properties
of indium nitride in light-sensitive devices, the best-known application
being white light emitting diodes used for household low energy lighting.
While working at CSIRO, Dr Foley made significant contributions to the
development of a patented high temperature superconducting Josephson
junction, a nanosized structure that is the critical component of the most
sensitive detector of magnetic fields. She and her team have used these
junctions in devices used for measuring magnetic fields, terahertz imaging
(like superman vision), array antennas and high frequency communications
receivers. Dr Foley and her team’s most successful application is the
LANDTEM™ sensor system used to locate valuable deposits of minerals deep
underground, such as nickel sulphide, silver and gold. This has led to
mineral discoveries worth more than $6 billion.
Dr Foley’s scientific excellence and influential leadership have been
recognised with numerous awards and fellowships, including being elected 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 was elected as a Fellow of the Australian Academy of Technological
Science and Engineering in 2008 and was elected as an honorary Fellow of
the Australian Institute of Physics in 2019.
She was awarded Agenda Setter of the Year in the Women’s Agenda Leadership
Awards in 2019, the Australian Institute of Physics Medal for Outstanding
Service to Physics in 2016, and the Clunies Ross Medal of the Australian
Academy of Technological Science and Engineering in 2015. In 2014, she was
awarded the International IEEE Award for Continuing and Significant
Contributions to Applied Superconductivity, and in 2013 she was named
`Woman of the Year’ by the NSW Government.
At CSIRO, she led the development of a Quantum Technology Roadmap for
Australia in 2020 championed emerging areas of scientific research, and has
been a high-profile commentator on the opportunities presented by science
and technology for Australia’s economic recovery and future resilience.
Dr Foley has a passion for advancing scientific research and has held
various roles, including member of the Prime Minister’s Science,
Engineering and Innovation Council, President of the Australian Institute
of Physics, President of Science and Technology Australia, Editor-in-Chief
of Superconductor Science and Technology journal and Council Member for
Questacon.
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.
Throughout her career she has strived to create an environment that
embraces the full human potential of both men and women for wellbeing and
economic benefit and for equality.