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Dr Katherine Locock

Team Leader

https://people.csiro.au/L/K/Katherine-Locock

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Contact details:

PRIVATE BAG 10
CLAYTON SOUTH VIC 3169 AUSTRALIA

Biography

Dr Katherine Locock leads the Botanical Pharmaceuticals team in the Manufacturing Business Unit of the CSIRO in Melbourne, Australia. Her research focuses on how chemistry can deliver solutions to industry challenges across the manufacturing, biotech and agricultural sectors.

Katherine has also worked extensively with First Nations groups over the past 10 years. This has spanned partnerships with First Nations businesses, STEM education outreach work with regional and remote First Nations schools and partnerships with Traditional Owner groups. As a non-Indigenous researcher, she places an emphasis on engagement that starts with trusted relationship, and is First Nations initiated and/or co-developed, to unlock the full benefit of CSIRO research for their communities.

Prior to the CSIRO, Katherine held a position as an Associate Lecturer in Pharmacology at the University of Sydney, where she focused on the development of analogues to target memory and mood. She also held a part-time role in 2016 as an advisor to Senator Kim Carr, Shadow Minister for Innovation, Industry, Science and Research as part of the BioMedVic Researcher in Residence Program.

In recognition of her contributions to the field Katherine was elected as a Fellow of the Royal Australian Chemical Institute (2021) and as AIPS Victorian Young Tall Poppy of the Year (2016). She has also received Ruby Payne-Scott (2021) and Julius Career Development (2016) Awards and was recognised as one of the top 5% most cited authors in the Royal Society of Chemistry journals (2020). She is also a recent graduate of the Australian Institute of Company Directors Course (2023) and was selected as one of Veski's Inspiring Women for their STEM sidebyside program (2023).

Other Interests

Dr Locock also actively seeks out opportunities to give back to her organization, industry and the community, helping to shape the future of science in Australia. She has a passion for communicating science, with a particular focus on Indigenous STEM education outreach work.

Professional Areas

Fields of Research

Current

Current Roles

  • Senior Research Scientist
    Combination of strategic and commercial projects

Academic Qualifications

  • 2009

    PhD - Thesis title: The synthesis and testing of substituted cyclopentane GABA analogues
    University of Sydney

  • 2004

    BSc (Hons 1A and University Medal)
    University of Sydney

Professional Experiences

  • 2015-2019

    Research Scientist
    CSIRO

  • March 2016-October 2016

    Researcher in Residence
    Senator Kim Carr Electoral Office

  • 2012-2015

    OCE Postdoctoral Fellow, CMSE
    Manufacturing Flagship, CSIRO

  • 2008-2011

    Associate Lecturer, Pharmacology, School of Medical Sciences, University of Sydney
    University of Sydney

Achievements and Awards

  • 2004-2004

    University Medal
    Pharmacology, University of Sydney

  • 2012-2012

    Early Career Presentation Prize
    CSIRO Advanced Materials Conference

  • 2013-2013

    Invited Speaker
    12th International Conference on the Frontiers of Polymers and Advanced Materials (ICFPAM2013), Auckland NZ

  • 2013-2013

    Invited Speaker
    Gordon Research Polymers Seminar, South Hadley, Massachusetts USA

  • 2013-2013

    Women in Science Scholarship
    CSIRO Staff Association

  • 2014-2014

    Conference Travel Awards ($200)
    Australasian Society for Biomaterials and Tissue Engineering (ASBTE)

  • 2014-2014

    State Finalist for Famelan Australia Science Communication Competition
    Famelab

  • 2014-2014

    Travel Grant for Commonwealth Sciences Conference ($1,150)
    UK Royal Society

  • 2014-2014

    Travel Grant for Commonwealth Sciences Conference ($800)
    Indian Government

  • 2014-2014

    Selected as 1 of 30 researchers to represent Australia at the Commonwealth Sciences Conference in Bangalore, India
    UK Royal Society

  • 2015-2015

    Community Scholarship
    CSIRO Staff Association

  • 2015-2015

    Selected Speaker for National Youth Forum "Australian Science in 20 Years"
    Australian Academy of Sciences

  • 2015-2015

    ECR Keynote Speaker
    35th Australasian Polymer Symposium (35APS), Gold Coast Australia

  • 2016-2016

    Travel Award ($3,500)
    CASS Foundation

  • 2016-2020

    Julius Career Development Award ($105,000)
    CSIRO

  • 2016-2016

    Research in Residence: Parttime Policy Advisor in Senator Kim Carr's Electoral Office
    BioMedVic

  • 2016-2016

    Elected Board Member
    Royal Australian Chemical Institute (RACI)

  • 2016-2016

    Victorian Tall Poppy of the Year Award ($3,000)
    AIPS

  • 2017-2017

    Keynote Speaker for 2017 UROP Conference
    BioMedVic

  • 2017-2017

    Public Lecture for Academy of Sciences Public Lecture Series "Plastic Fantastic", Woolongong NSW
    Academy of Sciences

  • 2017-2017

    Panel Member: Gender Equity in the RACI
    RACI Women in Chemistry Group, RACI Congress, Melbourne Vic

  • 2017-2017

    Invited Speaker
    RACI2017 Congress, Melbourne VIC

  • 2017-2017

    Panel Member: Preparing for your Postdoc, Convergence 2017
    CSIRO

Other highlights

  • 2015

    “Tomatoes in the Outback Supporting Indigenous Communities” CSIRO Monday Mail, Issue 608, 23rd November 2015

  • 2015

    “Scholarship Winner Takes Science Back to School” CSIRO Staff Association Pulse News, September edition 2015

  • 2015

    “Clayton Celebrates NAIDOC Week” CSIRO Monday Mail, Issue 594, 20th July 2015

  • 2016

    “CSIRO Speed meet – Katherine Locock”, 25th November 2016

  • 2016

    “Bringing science to life in the Ntaria community” video package: https://vimeo.com/191552337

  • 2016

    “Inspiring Science” CSIRO Sphere, Issue 21, 17th November 2016

  • 2016

    “Wrap up of our RAP” CSIRO Sphere, Issue 21, 17th November 2016

  • 2016

    “Science researchers in politicians’ offices” ABC Radio National Afternoons Interview, 4th April 2016

  • 2016

    “Program gives scientists an insight into politics” The Australian, 30th March 2016

  • 2016

    “More Tomatoes, Please” Double Helix Magazine, Issue 7, 15th April 2016

  • 2016

    “Fighting antibiotic resistance with antimicrobial RAFT polymers” http://www.csiro.au/antimicrobialpolymers

  • 2016

    “100 Women for 100 Years” CSIRO blog, 8th March 2016 (https://blog.csiro.au/100-women-for-100-years/)

  • 2017

    “Inspiring Science” Double Helix Magazine, Issue 14, 15th February 2017

  • 2017

    “Women in STEM Spotlight – Dr Katherine Locock, CSIRO” Chemistry Australia Website, 8th March 2017

  • 2017

    “New RACI board member receives Victorian Tall Poppy Award”, Chemistry in Australia, February 2017

  • 2018-2018

    “Antibiotic Resistance: the epidemic is here” CSIRO blog, 8th June 2018 https://blog.csiro.au/antibiotic-resistance-the-epidemic-is-here/

  • 2018-2018

    “Antibiotic Resistance: The Epidemic is Here” Body+Soul lift out, Herald Sun Sunday newspaper, 27th May 2018

Grants

  • 2014-2015

    Monash University Interdisciplinary Research Seed Funding ($37,000)

  • 2015-2015

    CSIRO Manufacturing Flagship Small Projects Grant ($10,000)

  • 2015-2018

    Federal Government Indigenous Advancement Strategy ($243,750)

  • 2016-2019

    CSIRO Julius Career Award ($105,000)

  • 2017-2020

    CSIRO ResearchPlus Postdoctoral Fellowship ($315,000)

Community and Corporate Citizenship

  • 2013-2015

    Member of the Flagship Support Team

  • 2014

    Member of the Scientific Program Organizing Committee for Manufacturing Flagship 2014 EXPO

  • 2014-Present

    Chair of the Manufacturing Flagship Indigenous Engagement Committee

  • 2015-Present

    Member of the Manufacturing Science Council

  • 2015-Present

    Manufacturing rep on the CSIRO Indigenous Engagement Implementation Committee

  • 2015-Present

    CSIRO rep on the Chemistry Australia Social Licence Advisory Council

  • 2016

    CSIRO rep on the Vinyl Council of Australia Product Stewardship Technical Steering Group

  • 2016-Present

    Member of the Royal Australian Chemical Institute Inclusion and Diversity Committee

  • 2016-2018

    Board Member, Royal Australian Chemical Institute (RACI)

  • 2017

    Member of the Emerging Polymer Technologies Summit Steering Committee

  • 2018-Present

    Member of the CSIRO Victorian Indigenous Engagement Committee

Related links

Publications

We have publications by Dr Katherine Locock