Cathy Foley
Cathy Foley | |
|---|---|
In an online discussion in 2021 | |
| 9th Chief Scientist of Australia | |
| In office 1 January 2021 – 31 December 2024 | |
| Preceded by | Alan Finkel |
| Succeeded by | Tony Haymet |
| Personal details | |
| Born | Catherine Patricia Foley 10 October 1957 Darlinghurst, Australia |
| Profession | Physicist, administrator |
| Alma mater | Macquarie University |
| Known for | comprehension of superconducting materials |
| Scientific career | |
| Fields | Physics |
| Institutions | CSIRO |
| Thesis | Indium nitride polycrystalline thin films (1984) |
| Doctoral advisor | Trevor Tansley |
Catherine Patricia Foley (born 10 October 1957) is an Australian physicist. She was the Chief Scientist of Australia from January 2021 to December 2024, before which she had been the chief scientist for the Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation (CSIRO) since August 2018.
Foley's research is in solid-state physics and its applications in superconductivity, combining material science, quantum physics, and research translation. In addition to her research science, she has also contributed significantly to the advancement of women in physics, and to professional scientific organisations.
Foley and her group at CSIRO have performed pioneering work on SQUID systems for geomagnetic exploration of minerals, which were transitioned to industry and resulted in the discovery of mineral ores worth many billions of dollars. Upon Foley's appointment as Chief Scientist, the CSIRO stated: "Among her many achievements, her team’s breakthrough work in ‘SQUID’ systems for mineral exploration were commercialised in LANDTEM technology, which has led to mineral discoveries worth more than $6 billion.".