Joanne Dawson

Dr. Joanne Dawson is an Associate Professor at Macquarie University's School of Mathematical and Physical Sciences and a Research Scientist at CSIRO Space & Astronomy. She holds a BSc (First Class Honours) from University College London and a PhD from Nagoya University. Previously, she was an ARC DECRA Fellow, Bolton Fellow at CASS, and ARC Super Science Fellow at the University of Tasmania, joining Macquarie in 2014.

Her research focuses on radio astronomical studies of the interstellar medium (ISM), including:

• Evolution of ISM in Milky Way/nearby galaxies
• Molecular cloud formation mechanisms
• 'Dark ISM' bridging atomic/molecular regimes
• SPLASH and GASKAP survey leadership
• Radio spectral line tracers correlated with IR/optical data

Her recent publications (2023-2025) predominantly explore observational astrophysics, characterized by:

• High-energy transients and radio emissions
• Galactic-scale molecular spectroscopy
• Interstellar turbulence and cloud dynamics
• Innovative radio telescope methodologies

Awards include:

• Vice-Chancellor’s Educational Leader Award (2022, team)

She currently supervises 2 PhD and 3 MRes students, having completed supervision of 6 MRes and 3 PhD students. Key grants include ARC Discovery and CSIRO projects studying star formation, galactic structure, and radio astronomy instrumentation.

She directs HDR for the Astrophysics and Space Technologies Research Centre, serves as MAPS MRes Programme Director, and leads research teams for SPLASH and GASKAP surveys utilizing Australia Telescope National Facility resources.