Lisa Harvey-Smith

Dr. Lisa Harvey-Smith is an astrophysicist at the Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation (CSIRO), based in Sydney, New South Wales, Australis. Her astronomical research interest include the origin and evolution of cosmic magnetism, supernova remnants, the interstellar medium, massive star formation and astrophysical masers. She has a keen interest in emerging radio astronomy technologies, including the use of phased array feeds. Her current primary role is that of CSIRO's Australian Square Kilometre Array Pathfinder (ASKAP) Project Scientist. Lisa Harvey-Smith was born in the County of Essex in the UK in 1979, the daughter of a Primary School teacher and a house-Dad. Lisa left school at the age of eleven and taught herself at home, where her passion for astronomy developed. Dr. Harvey-Smith obtained her Master of Physics (Honours) at the Univesity of Newcastle-upon-Tyne in 2002 and was awarded her Ph.D. in Radio Astronomy at Jodrell Bank Observatory from the University of Manchester in 2005. She did a Summer Research Studentship at Max-Planck-Institut fur Radioastronomie in 2004. From 2005 to 2007 she was JIVE Support Scientist at the Joint Institute for VLBI in Europe in the Netherlands. From 2007 to 2009 she was a Postdoctoral Research Fellow at The University of Sydney and in 2009, she was appointed Research Astronomer and Square Kilometre Array Project Scientist at CSIRO Astronomy & Space Science, Australia. In 2012, Dr. Harvey-Smith was appointed chair of the steering committee of the Women in Astronomy Chapter of the Astronomical Society of Australia. In March 2012, she became an Australian Citizen. She was appointed Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation (CSIRO) Project Scientist for the Australian Square Kilometre Array Pathfinder (ASKAP) in August 2012. In November 2012, the Sydney Morning Herald included Dr. Harvey-Smith in its list of the Top One Hundred of Sydney's Most Influential People. Lisa Harvey-Smith lives in Sydney, Australia with her partner and their Dutch dog, Inky. Lisa has dual U.K. and Australian Citizenship. Her interest include ultra-long distance running, following Arsenal FC and sweeping up dog hair. Her secret ambition is to deploy the first telescope on the moon.