About Us
The Sediment-Hosted Mineral Systems research team sits within CSIRO’s Mineral Resources - Discovery Program
Dr Helen McFarlane
- Dr Helen McFarlane is a structural geologist and Senior Research Scientist within the Multidimensional Geoscience Group in CSIRO Mineral Resources. She is currently involved in a wide range of projects within the Discovery Program, looking at structural controls in mineral systems hosted in Proterozoic and Archean terranes of Australia, spanning Au, Cu, Ni and base metal mineralisation. She received her PhD from both Monash University (AUSTRALIA) and the University of Toulouse (FRANCE) in 2018 before completing two post-doctoral placements at the University of Western Australia within the School of Earth Sciences/Centre for Exploration Targeting (CET). Helen’s previous experience involved both regional and mine-scale structural studies in West Africa and South America, coupled with multi-disciplinary, multi-scale studies incorporating metamorphic, isotopic, geochemical and potential field geophysical data.
Dr Chirantan Parui
- Dr. Chirantan Parui, a structural geologist, joined the CSIRO Mineral Resources as a CSIRO Early Research Career (CERC) Fellow in March 2023. His research focuses on understanding the kinematic and mechanical evolution of orogenic belts and sedimentary basins, integrating high-resolution geological mapping, laboratory analysis, and kinematic modelling.
- Primary Emailchirantan.parui@csiro.au
Dr Raphael Baumgartner
- Dr Raphael Baumgartner joined CSIRO Mineral Resources in early 2020. He focusses on studying ore forming processes in ancient and present-day geological environments, for which he utilises both traditional and cutting-edge analytical methods in petrography, mineralogy, and (stable isotope) geochemistry.
- Primary EmailRaphael.Baumgartner@csiro.au
Dr Thomas Poulet
- Dr Thomas Poulet investigates geological instabilities using multi-physics and numerical modelling approaches. In the context of sedimentary basins, he focuses on faults, to understand their formation, behaviour, and critical impact on fluid flow, ranging from conduits to baffles, including combinations of both. Recently, he has also been modelling the permeability anisotropy stemming from strata, which can also control mineralisation fluids.
Dr Heather Sheldon
- Dr Heather Sheldon is a geologist specialising in numerical modelling of fluid flow, heat/solute transport and rock deformation. Recent work has included development of a new workflow for quantifying permeability and modelling fluid flow in sedimentary basins, which can be used to predict fluid pathways in sediment-hosted mineral systems. Other areas of interest include safe waste disposal, aquifer thermal energy storage and use of low-temperature geothermal resources for heating and cooling.
- Primary Emailheather.sheldon@csiro.au
Dr Giovanni Spampinato
- Giovanni is a structural geophysicist with expertise in processing and interpretation of geological and geophysical data, and 3D modelling & inversion. Giovanni’s focus is on integration of geophysics with other geospatial datasets to improve the understanding of geological terranes undercover and associated mineral systems. His interests include creating new methodologies for integrated 3D geological modelling and mitigating geological risk in resources management.
Dr Marta Sosnicka
- Dr. Marta Sośnicka is an experienced geoscientist specializing in ore-forming processes in hydrothermal systems, with a particular emphasis on fluid dynamics. Her academic journey began at AGH University of Science and Technology in Poland, where she conducted pioneering research on Ukrainian BIF-hosted Fe ore deposits. She has since held key academic positions at leading institutions in South Africa and Germany and has been a visiting researcher at universities in Austria and Sweden. Marta’s expertise in fluid inclusion science has been instrumental in advancing the understanding of hydrothermal ore systems. Her research integrates mineralogical, geochemical, and isotopic methodologies to elucidate mineralization processes and origin of ore-forming fluids. Over the past decade, her studies have spanned a diverse range of mineral deposits, including the world-class sediment-hosted Cu-Co deposits of the Katanga Copperbelt in DR Congo, hydrothermal Sb mineralization in Austria, and Zn-Pb deposits linked to hydrocarbon reservoirs in the North German Basin. She has joined CSIRO in 2024, and her current research is focused on sediment-hosted Cu deposits.
- Primary EmailMarta.Sosnicka@csiro.au
Dr Val Zuchuat
- Field sedimentologist, basin analysist, and sequence stratigrapher, incorporating numerical methods into research. My research is focusing on the continental to shallow-marine transition zone, and how these systems respond and record the signature of autogenic and allogenic forcings. I am hoping to incorporate and apply a lot of these concepts for mineral exploration in sedimentary basins.
- Primary Emailval.zuchuat@csiro.au