Lisa Harvey-Smith

CSIRO SKA Project Scientist

I am a Research Astronomer at CSIRO Astronomy and Space Science, based in Sydney. My research interests include the origin and evolution of cosmic magnetism, supernova remnants, the interstellar medium, massive star formation and astrophysical masers. The day-to-day focus of my work is driven by my role as CSIRO's Square Kilometre Array Project Scientist.

The Square Kilometre Array (SKA) is a global collaborative project to design and construct a radio telescope - with thousands of separate antennas comprising one square kilometre of collecting area - that will revolutionise our understanding of the universe. Australia and New Zealand have secured a pristine radio-quiet site for the telescope, which is being offered to the international project as one of two potential sites.

My role as CSIRO's Project Scientist involves further developing the SKA's science case, ensuring that engineering advances and science goals remain aligned, and liaising between the Australian and New Zealand science communities, ANZSKA and the international SKA Program Development Office. I also play a leading scientific role in Australia-New Zealand's site preparations for the SKA.

In my spare time I enjoy ultra long-distance running (100km, 100 mile, 12hr and 24hr races) and am a competing member of the Australian Ultra Runners Association.

Learn More

• A short professional biography
  
• My scientific publications
  
• The home page of the Australian and New Zealand SKA Project
  
• The home page of the International SKA Project

Selected Media Coverage

• "In Australia nasce uno dei radio osservatori astronomici pi avanzati al mondo" - Article and photo gallery in Italian publication Il Sole 24 Ore (January 2012).
  
• New all-sky map of magnetic fields, based on the recent paper by Oppermann et al. (December 2011).
  
• A professional profile featured in The Weekend Australian Professional, Australia's national broadsheet newspaper (December 2011).
  
• It's kind of magical: Science feature in The Age about the SKA (November 2011).
  
• Great minds think alike: Front page article in the Sydney Morning Herald about the Women in Science and Enginering Summit held at Parliament House (April 2011).
  
• The SKA Explained: ABC interview on ASKAP and the SKA (June 2011).
  
• Benefits of SKA: Interview with ABC mid west (June 2011).
  
• Reach for the stars: ABC Landline report on the ASKAP and SKA projects in Murchison Shire (March 2010).
  
• Benefit Blues: Special report in Nature on LGBT discrimination in science (August 2008).
  
• Make mine a Stellar!: Highly technical academic paper on cosmic methanol from "The Sun", the U.K.'s most educational tabloid newspaper (April 2006).
  
• Alcohol Cloud Found in Space: ABC Science article on interstellar methanol masers (April 2006).
  

Contact me:

Dr. Lisa Harvey-Smith
CSIRO Astronomy and Space Science
Australia Telescope National Facility
PO Box 76
Epping NSW 2122
Australia
email: lisa.harvey-smith@csiro_dot_au
telephone: +61 2 9372 4653