Dr Francesca Gissi

Dr Francesca Gissi is a Research Scientist at Australian’s Nuclear Science and Technology Organisation (ANSTO). Her background is in environmental chemistry and ecotoxicology, and she now researches how pollutants from human activities impact aquatic plants and animals.

What do you do?

Using nuclear and other specialist techniques in the lab, I study plants and animals to understand how a pollutant gets inside the organism and if negative impacts will occur while it’s there, or, if the organism is able to rid the pollutant from its body/cells and recover. This research helps us understand the impacts of pollutants on different organisms, so that we can better manage and protect our important aquatic environments.

What are the best parts about your job?

• The great people I work with

• Asking questions and problem solving

• Learning something new most of the time

• I can do my little bit to help protect the environment.

What are the hardest parts?

• When experiments don’t work, but I’ve definitely become more resilient

• Sometimes trying to do too many things at once because there are lots of cool projects/experiments to get involved in.

Why did you choose this career pathway?

I always wanted to do something in the environmental sciences. I am passionate about environmental protection, and I love nature and the outdoors. But this exact career path was sort of by chance. When I was an undergrad, I deferred from my degree for one year to work as a trainee in the Centre for Environmental Contaminants Research at CSIRO in Sydney. The group there were amazing, and I was inspired by the work they were doing. So that was when I first entered into ecotoxicology and environmental chemistry.

That was 14 years ago and I’m more or less in the same field of research. Since joining ANSTO, I’m continuing to research how contaminants impact the environment. My current research focus aims to understand the potential risk associated with mercury in subsea oil and gas pipelines. More info on this work can be found here in this cool little cartoon we put together.

How did you get to your current role?

Partially right place at the right time, but I also think hard work and enthusiasm. I initially joined ANSTO as a postdoc. Then a position as a Research Scientist in the Environmental Research Theme became available. I applied and was very fortunate and thrilled to get the job

What are the major challenges in your field?

I think these are challenges but also the nature of a career in environmental research. As I like to be optimistic, I’m also going to suggest a solution to the challenge 😊

• Limited funding. Solution: Write to your local MP, show your support for Environmental research programs. Get involved in great events like Science Meets Parliament where scientists get to meet politicians and discuss their work and the importance of it. Get involved in science outreach and communication (just like People of Earth Science) so that more people learn about the great work that Earth and Environmental scientists do and place value in that.

• Limited training in science outreach and communication. When I did my undergrad there was less focus on this very important skill. Solution: On the job training, get involved in science outreach and communication activities and learn these very valuable skills.

What advice would you give to students in your study area trying to decide on a career path?

Try as many different things as possible; volunteer, look for internships while you’re studying either at university or through industry. This will give you a taste for what sorts of jobs are available in the Earth sciences and help you work out where your passions are.

I’d also recommend becoming involved in organisations or societies in the Earth and Environmental Fields. I have been a member of SETAC Australasia for 10 years and that definitely helped me build my network and set me up on my career path. I am now Vice President on the SETAC-AU council and I love being involved in this society and fostering the next generation of students.

Francesca in the lab running tests with corals to look at impacts of metal contaminants.

Francesca (right) with her colleagues Megan Gillmore (middle) and Marc Long (left) when they ran an experiment at the National Sea Simulator.