Dr Lisa Harvey-Smit’s research into the birth and death of stars in our galaxy and the nature of cosmic magnetic fields is published in leading international journals. She is an astronomer at CSIRO Astronomy and Space Science and is the project scientist for the Australian SKA Pathfinder (ASKAP). Dr Harvey-Smith contributes to science-engineering trade-off studies for the SKA and serves on the international SKA science working group. She is also a member of the scientific advisory committee to the Australian Government on the SKA.
Dr Harvey-Smith is a passionate public advocate for astronomy. She has written for The Conversation and ABC Online as well as featuring in Women’s Health, The Age, The Weekend Australian, The Sydney Morning Herald, The Sun Herald, The Sunday Telegraph, Al Jazeera English and ABC News 24. In 2012 she was named in the(sydney)magazine’s list of Sydney’s 100 most influential people.
Dr Harvey-Smith regularly speaks at universities, research institutes, schools, colleges, museums, science festivals and astronomical meetings. She is a mentor at the Pia Wadjarri remote community school in Western Australia and teaches science at Leichhardt Public School as part of CSIRO’s Scientists in Schools program.