Joëlle D’Andres is a postdoctoral fellow at the Research School of Earth Sciences, Australian National University (ANU), specialising in geochemistry with a strong emphasis on advanced analytical methods and their application to mineral systems relevant to critical minerals and mineral exploration. Her research integrates trace element geochemistry, microanalysis, and geochronology to investigate element behaviour in minerals and to develop robust geochemical tools for understanding ore-forming processes and vectoring mineralisation.
Joëlle holds Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees in Geology from Switzerland and completed her PhD in Geochemistry at ANU in 2021, where her research focused on fluid–rock interaction processes. She has broad expertise in field geology, petrology, and state-of-the-art microanalytical techniques, supported by experience across both academic and industry-facing research environments. This includes postdoctoral contract research and fluid inclusion studies for Industry in Chile.
Since completing her PhD, Joëlle has increasingly focused her work on ore-related systems and critical mineral pathways. Her research includes studies of critical mineral by-products hosted in sphalerite (in collaboration with Prof. John Mavrogenes and Geoscience Australia), as well as the development of garnet geochemistry as a vector for characterising ore systems. She is also actively involved in laser-based geochronology and analytical method development at ANU, contributing to improved temporal constraints on mineralising processes.
Joëlle contributes to the ARC Centre of Excellence for Critical Resources for the Future through the co-supervision of PhD students working on REE and HFSE mineralisation in carbonatite systems and associated weathering profiles. Her work supports the development of innovative geochemical approaches to critical mineral discovery, aligning fundamental process understanding with exploration-focused outcomes.
