We are a consortium of university-based microscopy facilities united by values of collaboration, accessibility, excellence and innovation. Each year, over 3,500 researchers from universities and industry use our instruments and expertise in facilities around Australia. Over 150,000 trainee microscopists around the world use our online training tools.
Microscopy Australia is funded by federal (NCRIS) and state governments and participating institutions. We report high-impact science outcomes from this investment in our annual Research Highlights and online news. We also engage the public in science with unique exhibitions and learning resources.
Microscopy Australia enables access to an array of high-end microscopy platforms and associated scientific expertise in strategic locations to efficiently service Australia’s microscopy needs. Microscopy Australia also has formal connections with a range of other specialised linked laboratories.
Microscopy Australia (formerly known as the AMMRF) has been empowering research excellence for over a decade. A recent renewal of our government funding ensures that our strategic vision and collaboration continues to drive Australian research and deliver industry solutions for many years to come.
University-based research facilities collaborating through an unincorporated joint venture form the core of Microscopy Australia. Their wide range of complimentary instrument types and expertise collectively provide infrastructure for high-demand and cutting-edge techniques. All offer scanning and transmission electron microscopy and many have light and confocal instruments. See Facility Directory .
Linked Labs are research facilities affiliated with Microscopy Australia. They provide additional expertise and benefits to Australian researchers and industry users. The Microscopy Australia facilities, have strategic links to additional research laboratories to increase access and support for researchers via Linked Labs. See Linked Lab Directory .
Prof. Julie Cairney grew up in the outback town of Broken Hill, Australia. She studied Materials Science and Engineering at UNSW under a scholarship from Pasminco Limited. In 2002, she was awarded a PhD (Physical Metallurgy) also from UNSW. The next few years were spent working as a researcher at the University of Birmingham, UK and the Max Planck Institute for Metals Research in Stuttgart, Germany, before returning to Australia. Julie is currently a professor in the School of Aerospace, Mechanical and Mechatronic Engineering and CEO of Microscopy Australia.
Julie is an expert in advanced microscopy techniques that can image matter down to atomic scale, to study materials. The materials’ microstructure can then be related to their properties. This knowledge is used to engineer advanced materials with desirable properties such as superalloys, steels and hard coatings. In this way Julie’s work contributes to the development of stronger, lighter materials that require less energy to produce, for applications in industries like aerospace, construction and manufacturing. She is also active in applying atomic-scale microscopy to a wider range of research fields
Lisa joined Microscopy Australia in 2019 as our Chief Operating Officer. She has over ten years of experience in research administration and management. She received her PhD in Cognitive Science, investigating speech and language, from Macquarie University in 2005. Lisa was the Chief Operating Officer of the ARC Centre of Excellence in Cognition and its Disorders (CCD; 2011 – 2019).
In her role as Chief Operating Officer, Lisa leads our team of support staff to deliver outstanding research infrastructure support to users across the nine Microscopy Australia facilities. She manages the strategic planning and operations of Microscopy Australia, including the financial management, reporting responsibilities and future planning. She oversees communication, marketing, stakeholder relations and engagement activities to strengthen industry, community and institutional collaboration.
After completing her B.Sc. and Ph.D. at the University of Adelaide’s Biochemistry Department, Jenny spent nine years undertaking basic research in molecular and developmental biology at several institutions in London. Before joining Microscopy Australia, Jenny worked for the Wellcome Trust, a large medical research charity in the UK. There she was responsible for building their collection of microscopic and medical images and licensing it to academic and commercial users.
Jenny promotes the benefits and outcomes of Microscopy Australia facilities to the Australian research community and industry, encouraging a wide range of collaborations. She also liaises with our various stakeholders to communicate return on investment in advanced microscopy and the research it enables.
Click on the link for Team Directory listings tagged ‘Director’
| Dr Greg Smith Chair |
| Dr Deborah Rathjen Independent board member |
| Prof. Laurent Rivory The University of Sydney |
| Prof. Tim Colmer The University of Western Australia |
| Prof. Mike Ryan Monash University |
| Prof. Joe Shapter The University of Queensland |
| Prof. MICHAEL LIEBELT The University of ADELAIDE |
| Dr Douglas Robertson Australian National University |
| A/Prof. Grainne Moran The University of New South Wales |
| Prof. Wolfgang Baumeister Max-Planck Institute for Biochemistry |
| Prof. Thomas Maschmeyer The University of Sydney |
| Prof. Christian Colliex Emeritus CNRS Research Director |
| Dr Jan Ellenberg EMBL |
| Dr Rob Hough CSIRO |
| Prof. David Joy The University of Tennesee |
| Prof. Brian Wilson The University of Toronto |
| Prof. Palli Thordarson UNSW Sydney |
| Prof. Tim Senden Australian National University |
| Prof. Colin Raston Flinders University |
| A/Prof. Paul Verkade The University of Bristol |
| Prof. Simon Watkins The University of Pittsburgh |
| Prof. Xiaozhou Liao The University of Sydney |
| Prof. Jodie Bradby Australian National University |
| Prof. Anders Meibom École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne |
| Prof. Paul Midgley Cambridge University |
| Prof. Michael Monteiro The University of Queensland |
| Paul Munroe Unsw Sydney |
| Prof. Dongke Zhang University of Western Australia |
| Prof. Paul Robinson Purdue University |
| Prof. Allan Pring Flinders University |
| Dr Tom Kelly Steam Instruments Inc |
| Prof. Jin Zou University of Queensland |
| Prof. Tim White Nanyang Technology University |
| Dr Richard Leapman NIH, Bethesda |
| Prof. Jason Swedlow University of Dundee |
This annual publication is available in print or as a PDF download. Discover high-impact science, enabled by Microscopy Australia (formerly the AMMRF). If you would like to receive a printed copy, please contact us with your postal address.
