Laura Petrella

Laura Petrella is an Adjunct Research Fellow at the School of Earth and Oceans, The University of Western Australia, and a Research Fellow at Curtin University's John de Laeter Centre. Her work focuses on nanoscale mechanisms of gold mineralization using advanced analytical facilities like the Geoscience Atom Probe (GAP) Facility.

Education

• MSc, McGill University, 2012
• PhD, University of Western Australia, 2019

Research Focus

Her expertise centers on high-grade gold systems, particularly remobilization processes, gold nanoparticles, and fluid-rock interactions in orogenic deposits. She integrates field studies, microanalysis, and experimental techniques to decode mineralization mechanisms across Australian, Canadian, and Chinese deposits. Current work leverages atom probe tomography for nanoscale characterization of gold-bearing minerals.

Publication Trends

Recent articles (2024-2025) reveal a thematic shift toward nanoscale processes: arsenic-catalyzed gold remobilization in pyrite, polyphased enrichment in cratonic settings, and carbon-mediated nanoparticle transport. Methodologically, studies increasingly employ transmission electron microscopy and atom probe tomography, highlighting interdisciplinary approaches that bridge economic geology with materials science for exploration targeting.

Awards

No scientific awards were documented in the source material.

Collaborations and Facilities

Laura actively collaborates through the Geoscience Atom Probe Facility at Curtin University, utilizing its nanoscale imaging capabilities. Her research network spans Australian institutions (UWA, Curtin), Canadian universities (McGill), and Chinese geological surveys, with datasets publicly archived for reproducibility.