ProfessorDeanna D'Alessandro

Deanna is the Director of the University of Sydney’s Net Zero Institute (NZI), where she leads multidisciplinary efforts to accelerate Australia’s transition to low  and zero emissions technologies. She is also a Professor of Chemistry in the School of Chemical & Bimolecular Engineering. The NZI brings together more than 280 researchers to deliver practical climate solutions in collaboration with industry, government and communities. Its Industry and Scientific Advisory Boards span 10 countries.
 
A chemist by training, Deanna and her team are recognised for scientific contributions to advanced functional materials known as Metal-Organic Frameworks (MOFs), with applications in direct air capture and next generation clean energy systems. Her career spans more than 20 years across Australia and the United States and has been supported by fellowships including Australian Research Council Future and QEII Fellowships, a L’Oréal UNESCO Australia For Women in Science Fellowship, an American Australian Dow Chemical Company Fellowship and a Royal Commission for the Exhibition of 1851 Research Fellowship.
 
Before stepping into her current role, she held several positions at the University of Sydney and completed postdoctoral research at the University of California, Berkeley, USA. She holds a BSc (Hons) and PhD from James Cook University. Deanna is a Fellow of the Royal Australian Chemical Institute and a Graduate of the Australian Institute of Company Directors.

Since 2011, Deanna has successfully supervised to graduation 19 PhD students, 3 Masters students, and 29 Honours students including jointly supervised students.

A breif biography including recognitions received is provided below.

BRIEF BIOGRAPHY

BSc (Hons I & UMedal), James Cook University, 2001

PhD, James Cook University, 2006

Postdoctoral Fellow, Molecular Electronics Group, University of Sydney, 2006

Postdoctoral Fellow, University of California at Berkeley, 2007-2009

Dow Chemical Company Fellow, American-Australian Association, 2007

Royal Commission for the Exhibition of 1851 Research Fellow, 2007-2009

University of Sydney Postdoctoral Research Fellow, 2010

L’Oréal-UNESCO Australia for Women in Science Fellow, 2010

Australian Research Council QEII Fellow, 2010-2016

Sydney Research Accelerator (SOAR) Fellow, 2017-2018

Associate Professor, 2017

Deputy Head of School, Chemistry, 2017-2018

Australian Research Council Future Fellow, 2018-2022

Professor, 2021

Director, Net Zero Institute, 2024

Graduate, Australian Institute of Company Directors, 2025

AWARDS & HONOURS

- 2025-2026, The Australian Research Magazine, Top Researcher in the field of Inorganic Chemistry
- 2023-2024, Royal Society of Chemistry (RSC) Australasian Lectureship
- 2017, Australian Academy of Science Le Févre Medal, In recognition of outstanding research in chemistry by researchers up to 10 years post-PhD - for research conducted mainly in Australia
- 2017, Fellow, Royal Australian Chemical Institute (RACI)
- 2017, RACI Alan Sargeson Lectureship, Recognising significant and innovative contributions to the field by researchers within 10 years of the award of their PhD
- 2015, RSC ChemComm Emerging Investigator Lectureship, One of two awarded internationally in 2015 by the Royal Society of Chemistry (UK) to recognise an emerging scientist in the early stages of their independent academic career
- 2014, RACI Rennie Memorial Medal, For research published over the past 8 years that has contributed most towards the development of a branch of chemical science
- 2012, Distinguished Lectureship Award, The Chemical Society of Japan
- 2011, NSW Young Tall Poppy Science Award, Australian Institute of Political Science
- 2010, Outstanding Early Career Alumni Award, James Cook University, One of five awarded for the past 10 years during the 40th Anniversary celebrations of James Cook University
- 2007-9, Royal Commission for the Exhibition of 1851 Research Fellowship, One of 6 awarded internationally
- 2008, DOW Chemical Company Fellow, American-Australian Association
- 2007, International Union of Pure and Applied Chemistry (IUPAC) Prize for Young Chemists, One of 5 awarded world-wide for the most outstanding PhD theses in the chemical sciences
- 2006, Winner of ‘Fresh Science’, Selected from early-career scientists Australia-wide for the best presentation of their research to the general public
- 2006, RACI Cornforth Medal, For the most outstanding PhD thesis submitted in a branch of chemistry in Australia
- 2006, Medal of Excellence for a Doctoral Research Thesis, James Cook University