Jonathan is a PhD candidate at the University of Western Australia (UWA) within the Centre for Exploration Targeting and the ARC Centre for Critical Resources for the Future (CCRF). His research focuses on rare earth element (REE) and niobium (Nb) mineral systems in the Upper Gascoyne region of Western Australia and the Aileron Province, with particular emphasis on mineral processing, deposit evaluation, and the geological and technical factors that influence the development potential of critical mineral resources.
Jonathan completed a Bachelor of Science in Applied Geology at the Camborne School of Mines, University of Exeter, UK, where his thesis focused on geological mapping of the Akamas Ophiolite in northwest Cyprus. He later completed a Master of Science in Applied Environmental Geology at Cardiff University, including a research placement with CSIRO in Perth focused on CO₂ sequestration, geochemistry, spectral mineralogy, and facies modelling.
Prior to commencing his PhD, Jonathan worked across Western Australia and the Northern Territory as a geologist and hydrogeologist, leading projects ranging from regional mapping and reconnaissance programs to large-scale drilling campaigns. He has strong interests in structural geology, hydrogeology, mine planning, and mineral exploration.
His research is supervised by Professor Marco Fiorentini and Dr Maria Cherdantseva at UWA, alongside Professor Ali Karrech from the School of Engineering.
