Dr Cara Doherty

Group Leader

https://people.csiro.au/d/c/cara-doherty

Contact

First name *

Please enter a valid first name

Last Name *

Please enter a valid last name

Email Address *

Please enter a valid email address

Your Enquiry *

Please enter your message to send to the contact

PRIVATE BAG 10
CLAYTON SOUTH VIC 3169 AUSTRALIA

Biography

Dr Cara Doherty is a Principal Research Scientist and Research Team Leader within CSIRO Technology Research Unit in Clayton, Victoria. She completed her PhD in Physical Chemistry at the University of Melbourne, where her doctoral research focused on developing hierarchically porous electrode materials to advance high-power lithium-ion batteries.

Dr Doherty’s research portfolio centres on the study of advanced, functional porous materials, specifically metal–organic frameworks (MOFs), optimizing their unique chemical and physical properties for molecular sensing, energy storage, and critical mineral separations. By utilizing precise measurement techniques such as synchrotron X-rays (SAXS) and antimatter positrons (PALS), she investigates the chemical and physical properties of materials and their benefits for device translation.

Dr Doherty has successfully led several major industry-based projects and currently heads a large, multidisciplinary team developing a 200 tpa direct air capture (DAC) demonstrator with commercial partners. A co-inventor on multiple CSIRO patents and associated licenses, her work demonstrates a proven track record of translating applied porous materials into industry solutions. Dr Doherty has published more than 150 peer-reviewed journal articles with more than 13,500 citations and h-index of 63. Her ongoing research continues to bridge the gap between design and translation of advanced porous materials to address the fundamental industrial and environmental challenges in Australia.

Professional Areas

Fields of Research

Current

Current Roles

Research Team Leader
Applied Porous Materials Team
Principal Research Scientist
Researching porous materials for sensing, storage and separation
Adjunct Professor, Monash University, Materials Science and Engineering
PhD Supervisor
Project Leader
Strategic and External projects with applied porous materials

Academic Qualifications

2009

PhD Physical Chemistry
The University of Melbourne
2002

BSc Applied Physics (1st Class Honours)
Curtin University of Technology

Professional Experiences

2002-2004

R&D Scientist/Engineer
Structural Monitoring Systems

Achievements and Awards

2017-2020

Veski Inspiring Women Fellowship
Veski
2014-2017

Discovery Early Career Researcher Award (DECRA)
ARC
2014-2015

L’Oréal Woman in Science Award
L’Oréal
2014-2017

Julius Career Award
CSIRO
2013-2014

Victorian Young Tall Poppy Science Award
Australian Institute of Policy and Science

Other highlights

2018-2019

Participant in Homeward Bound Women in Science Leadership Program

Publications

We have publications by Dr Cara Doherty