OUR TEAM
Our people are at the core of what makes the Monash Isotopia such a unique and fulfilling place to work. We’re proud of the diversity of our staff, with each member contributing their unique skills to the projects we’re working on. Together, we’ve planned and executed some of the most innovative and cutting edge experiments. Find out more about our team members below.
DR. PETER CAWOOD
Professor of Geodynamics and Principle Investigator
Peter is an Australian Research Council laureate fellow and the patron and co-founder of the ISOTOPIA laboratory.Â
His research is focusing on the development and evolution of the early crust on Earth.
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DR. IAN CARTWRIGHT
Professor of Hydrogeology and Principle Investigator
Ian has been working at Monash Geoscience for many years. He has a standing reputation as one of Australia's leading experts in ground and surface water chemistry.
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DR. FIONA COUPERTHWAITE
Postdoctoral Researcher
Fiona was a Federation fellow at EAE and is studying timescales of magmatic eruptions in the newer volcanics province.
ALISON DAVIES
PhD candidate
Alison's work circles around the isotope composition of Ag and analytical protocols to improve their measurements. One of her prime goals is the tracing of gold deposits, which often also host silver.
PABLO FARIAS
PhD candidate
Pablo's studies are centred around the tectono-magmatic evolution of Paleozoic rocks from Argentina. His main tools are geochronology of zircons and other accessory phases.
DR. ANDREW FRIERDICH
Researcher and ARC DECRA fellow
Andrew is a low-temperature geochemist with a strong focus on Fe-bearing minerals in the environment. He is applying geochemical engineering to unlock crucial metals out of minerals.
DR. NICHOLAS GARDINER
Research Fellow
Nick is a geochemist and petrologist whose research focuses on the magmatic and metamorphic processes that have shaped the evolution of Earth’s lithosphere, and the development of its metal resources, from the Archaean to the present day.
AMREI LADWIG
PhD candidate
Amrei's focus is the formation of the crust in the Archean eon. She is using element and isotope systematics of the Australian Yilgarn and the South African Kaapvaal cratons.
DR. ALEX MCCOY-WEST
Research Fellow
Alex is working on early crustal formation using stable Nd isotopes. He is strongly involved in our laboratory operations and is an expert in both, MC-ICP-MS and TIMS.
HOSEONG LIM
PhD Candidate
Hoseong is interested in the melting of lower crust in producing melts with a TTG chemistry; now and back then
DR. JACK MULDER
Research Fellow
Jack's main focus is the formation of crust and how this is recorded in detrital sedimentary sequences.
DR. YONA NEBEL-JACOBSEN
Clean-Laboratory Manager
Research Fellow
Yona is responsible for the daily operation of our clean room laboratory. She is overseeing the chromatographic purification of elements and the analyses of solution-based element concentrations and isotope analyses.
Her research interests are around Hf isotopes and onset of subduction.
DR. OLIVER NEBEL
Associate Professor of Geochemistry
ISOTOPIA Research Director
SEAE Laboratory Coordinator
Oliver is the head and one of the principle investigators of the laboratory. As a trained analytical geochemist and geochronologist, he is often involved in setting up new techniques. His research is focusing on crustal formation and mantle evolution.
DR. MASSIMO RAVEGGI
Principle Laboratory Technician
Massimo oversees all laboratories and the laser ablation systems in particular. He is a specialist in dating various minerals using the U-Pb system.
MARIANNE RICHTER
PhD candidate
Marianne is working on the isotope composition of rocks from the Arctic Gakkel Ridge; a remote spreading ridge with unusual chemical signatures.
SASKIA RUTTOR
PhD candidate
Saskia is looking into the evolution of oceanic island in the Tasman Sea and elsewhere. She is using radiogenic and stable isotopes for her research.
RACHELLE PEARSON
Laboratory Technician
Rachelle overseas the ICP-OES operations for water samples, the mineral separation in the department and is routinely analysing C-N isotopes in waters.
SCARLETT SOUTHALL
PhD Candidate
Scarlett's project looks into the recrystallization of Fe-oxide minerals to gain a better understanding of metal mobility in laterite ore deposits.
DR. ASHLEA WAINWRIGHT
Laboratory Technician
Ashlea is taken care of our in-situ routines on the Neptune. She is an expert in isotope ratio analyses and has a wealth of experience with numerous isotope systems and rock matrices.
ANNE WHITWORTH
PhD candidate
My project aims to understand the iron isotope geochemistry of jarosite, as well as the behaviour of iron and other trace elements during jarosite recrystallisation.
