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Curriculum Vitae:

Portrait of Laura Otter standing in a geochemical laboratory in front of a microscope holding as pearl-oyster shell, smiling

My mission is to create new cross-disciplinary knowledge on fundamental, marine biomineralization and geochemical processes  that I apply to improve paleo-environmental reconstructions, pearl culturing and our general understanding of how biominerals grow.

I integrate marine aquaculture of live calcifying organisms and advanced micro- to nano-scale isotopic and molecular characterization methods to study the interaction of mineral and organic phases across all lengths scales with the aim to develop new biomineralization models.

I practice a values-based leadership approach in which I encourage respectful communication and a collaborative work environment that recognizes and celebrates diverse perspectives and accessible work approaches in all aspects of my work.

Education:

22/04/2020:               

Doctorate (PhD) in Earth and Planetary Sciences

Macquarie University, Australia

Advisors: Prof Dorrit E. Jacob and Dr Matthew Kosnik

08-09/2017:                

Visiting doctoral student, University of Michigan with Prof Robert Hovden

29/07/2015:                 

Master of Science (M.Sc.) in Geosciences

Max Planck Institute for Chemistry (MPIC) and the University of Mainz, Germany, joint degree

Advisors:  Prof Meinrat Andrae, Prof Denis Scholz and Dr Klaus Peter Jochum

28/09/2012:                 

Bachelor of Science (B.Sc.) in Geosciences

University of Mainz

Advisors: Prof Dorrit Jacob and Dr Ursula Wehrmeister

Research experience:

1/2025–present:

Research Fellow, full time

Research School of Earth Sciences, The Australian National University

11/2020–1/2025:         

Postdoctoral Fellow, full-time

Research School of Earth Sciences, The Australian National University,

06/2020–10/2020:        

Research Associate, full-time

Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences, Macquarie University

Advisor: Prof Dorrit Jacob

06/2019–06/2020:        

Research Associate, part-time

Macquarie University,

Advisor: Prof Dorrit Jacob

10/2014–01/2016:        

Research Assistant, full-time

Max Planck Institute for Chemistry

Advisor: Prof Meinrat Andreae and Dr Klaus Peter Jochum

 

Funding:

Competitive funding:

07/2024:

NCRIS/AuScope Opportunity Fund $280k, Co-CI

State-of-the-art spectral characterization of complex materials

Penny King (lead), Valeska Ting, Larry Liu, Janelle Stevenson, Kathryn Hayward, Michael Förster, Laura M. Otter, Dorrit Jacob, Michael Anenburg, Ludovic Rapp, Andrei Rode, Robert Sharp, Shane Mulè, Carsten Laukamp, Jessica Stromberg, Yanbo Cheng, Chris Lewis, Aaron Cavosie, Fred Jourdan, Nick Timms, Eriita Jones, and Alison Wain

03/2023:                     

ANU Major Equipment Committee Grant $116,7k, lead-CI

Bridging the gap: Expanding ANU capabilities in Near- to Mid-Range InfraRed nano-metre Phase Characterization and Imaging

05/2022:                     

Director's award for strategic research $14,7k, sole CI

A shell-based matrix-matched calibration material for in-situ stable oxygen isotope micro-analysis

11/2021:                     

Malacological Society of Australasia Research Fund $2,5k, sole CI

Growing Anadara trapezia bivalves in aquaculture experiments to improve paleo seawater temperature reconstructions and quantify vulnerability in future oceanic conditions

07/2021:                     

AuScope-RSES SHRIMP Access Award $3,2k, sole CI

SHRIMP stable oxygen isotope analyses of bivalves grown under controlled aquaculture conditions

12/2019:                     

Australian Synchrotron & ANSTO International Synchrotron Access Program $5,6k, lead CI

Probing the sub-micron growth-dynamics of strontium-labelled bivalve shells with STXM mapping

Other funding:

4/2024:                       

Nanyang Technological University Research Collaboration Agreement $10k, lead CI

Micron- to nano-scale exploration of biomineralization processes in fish otoliths

Awards and achievements:

Awards:

2023:                          

Top cited article award in Geostandards and Geoanalytical Research

2020:                         

Travel award $1,3k, MDPI Crystals

2020:                          

ARC Discovery Project DP210101268 $420k, named postdoctoral scholar on proposal with CIs: Dorrit Jacob, Stephen Eggins, Simon Clark, Stephan Wolf, and Richard Wirth,

2019:                          

Beate Mocek Price $1,6k, German Mineralogical Society

2018:                          

Postgraduate Research Fund $5,5k, incl. Deputy Vice-Chancellor Commendation, Macquarie University, Faculty of Science and Engineering

2017:                          

Best presentation $50, HDR Conference 2017, Macquarie University

2016:                          

International Postgraduate Research Scholarship $200k, Australian Government

2015:                          

Travel Grant $1,5k, Max Planck Graduate School

2015:                          

Thesis Award, Max Planck Graduate School, outstanding master’s thesis grading “superior”

2014:                          

Thesis Award $200, Johannes Gutenberg University for outstanding bachelor’s thesis

2014:                          

Travel Award $400, Johannes Gutenberg University’s Foundation for Gem Material and Economic Geology

Invited presentations:

2022:                         

Invited presentation, Gordon Research Seminar on Biomineralization, Barcelona, Spain

2022:                          

Guest seminar, Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne, School of Architecture, Civil and Environmental Engineering, Lausanne, Switzerland

2022:                         

Guest seminar, Nanyang Technological University, Asian School of the Environment and Earth Observatory Singapore, Singapore

2020:                          

Invited speaker, Broken Bay Pearls c/- Pearls of Australia Pty Ltd., Mooney Mooney, NSW, Australia

2018:                          

Guest seminar, University of Michigan, Department of Material Science, Ann Arbor, MI, USA

Student supervision:

Supervision philosophy:

I guide students to become independent thinkers, team players, and creative problem solvers, which prepares them for successful careers in and outside academia. My definition of success is that students find joy and purpose in their studies and feel they are actively contributing to their field with their research projects. I believe that a student who feels safe and supported is more motivated and productive. For this reason, I tailor my support to meet individual needs and aim to create a scaffolded learning experience that serves as a safe space for exploring their ideas and hypothesis.

 

Ongoing adjunct-/co-supervision of 3 doctoral theses:

Since 2023:                 

Multiscale dynamic visualization of biomineralization processes in marine calcifiers - Kushani Jayasoma

primary supervisor Prof Dorrit Jacob, the Australian National University

Since 2021:                 

Environmental records from Tridacna clams over the last millennium - Tao Ye

primary supervisor Prof Stewart Fallon, the Australian National University

Since 2021:                 

Using giant clam shell geochemistry to understand past environmental change and human-environment interaction in the South Pacific - Bohao Dong

primary supervisor Dr Amy Prendergast, University of Melbourne

2022:                          

Biomineralization pathways and element partitioning in calcium carbonate - Shiladitja Mazumdar

2017-2022, Primary supervisor Prof Dorrit Jacob, Macquarie University

 

Primary supervision of Honors student thesis:

2022:                          

An aquaculture-based calibration of bivalve shell isotope and trace element thermometry using the Sydney cockle Anadara trapezia - Oliver Medd

Bachelor of Science Hons with first-class distinction, the Australian National University

Original research associated with Oliver's Hons project:

Medd et al., (2024) Matrix corrected SIMS in-situ oxygen isotope analyses of marine shell aragonite for high resolution seawater temperature measurements. Authorea Preprints

HDR supervisor qualifications:

2022:                          

HDR Supervision at ANU - responsibilities and good practice for experienced supervisors, ANU Pulse training module completion certificate

2021:                          

HDR Supervision at ANU - responsibilities and good practice for new supervisors, ANU Pulse training module completion certificate

2020:                          

HDR Supervision at Macquarie University, successful completion of HDR supervisor training ‘HDR30’ module 1 and 2

2020:                          

Consent matters, online training pathway to MQU HDR supervision

Teaching contributions:

Contributions to undergraduate teaching at ANU:

2024:                          

Co-lecturer first national Hyperspectral mineralogy workshop, 3-day intensive, funded by AuScope, student participants across eight major Australian Universities

 

2024:                          

Co-lecturer Analytical Techniques EMSC-4122 (April 2024), lecture, practical and quiz design

Contributions to undergraduate teaching at Macquarie University:

2016–2017:                 

Demonstrator (part-time), course ‘GEOS112: The Planet Earth, practical demonstrating and exam marking 2 groups of 30 students

 

Contributions to undergraduate teaching at University of Mainz:

2013–2014:                 

Teaching assistant (part-time), course ‘M.09.065.020: Mineralogy, small group practical demonstrating of spectroscopic methods

 

Teaching qualifications:

2022:                          

The Human Face of Teaching, 2-day ANU College of Science teaching colloquium

 

Other qualifications supporting student interactions:

2024:

Disability Awareness Training, Australian Government Department of Education,Skills and Employment

 

2022:                          

ANU LGBTIQA+ ally training, workshop offered as part of the University's commitment to on-campus inclusivity so all people can work and study safely and free of harassment or discrimination

2021:                          

Standard Mental Health First Aider, accredited by Mental Health First Aid Australia, 12-hour course teaches skills for providing initial help to a person experiencing a mental health crisis

Service:

Committee and working group engagement:

2024–present:              

RSES Seminar committee member

2022–present:              

ANU Visibly Diverse member, cross-college peer-support group for staff with disabilities

2021–2023:                 

RSES Inclusion Diversity Equity Access Committee chair

2021–2023:                 

College of Science Inclusion Diversity Equity Access Committee member

 

Peer reviewing for academic journals:

I have reviewed a total of 15 manuscripts for academic publishers.

2017–present:              

Chemical Society Reviews, Climate of the Past, European Journal of Mineralogy, Gems and Gemology, Geostandards and Geoanalytical Research, Marine Biology, Nature Communications, PNAS, RSC Nanoscale, and Science Advances

 

Editorial service roles for academic journals:

2023–present:              

Ethics/DEI working peer group, Advances in Geochemistry and Cosmochemistry – a new community-driven diamond open access journal

2021–present:              

Editorial review board member, Gems & Gemology, The Gemological Institute of America (GIA)

 

Organization of conferences and scientific meetings:

2024:                          

Hyperspectral workshop in co-taught with CSIRO

2024:                          

RSES School Seminar host for Dr Amy Prendergast’s (University of Melbourne)

2022:                          

Conference session chair at GeoAnalysis Freiberg, Germany, session 1 "Characterizing Earth Materials in Three Dimensions'

Science communication:

Section coming soon!

Publications:

Metrics overview:

H-index:                     

10 (Google Scholar, 20/05/2024) and 9 (Scopus, 20/05/2024)

Citations:                    

315 (Google Scholar, 20/05/2024) and 246 (Scopus, 20/05/2024)

Reads:

14,699 reads across all publications (ResearchGate, 20/05/2024)

Total publications:

21 peer-reviewed articles (20 original research, 1 review)

First authored articles:

7 peer-reviewed and 1 non-peer reviewed (not shown)

Invited articles: 

1

Highlights:                  

Published author in Nature Communications (2), and PNAS (1)

I have 1 publication in the top 10% most viewed publications worldwide (SciVal, 20/05/2024)

1.16 Field-Weighted Citation Impact, topic “nacre; mechanical properties; bio-inspired” (SciVal, 20/05/2024)

2.98 Field-Weighted Citation Impact, topic “Atomic Force Microscopy; Infrared Spectroscopy” (SciVal, 20/05/2024)

Conference abstracts:

>30

A full list of publications can be found here

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