Juliana is a Research Fellow at The University of Queensland's Sustainable Minerals Institute, whose interdisciplinary research is dedicated to enhancing the sustainability and circularity of mineral resources supply through innovation. Juliana's current work focuses on developing sustainable, circular solutions, such as ore-sand co-production, to address the global sustainability challenges associated with sand supply and conventional mineral waste management.
With a Bachelor's degree in Chemical Engineering from Universidad del Valle in Colombia and a Master of Science and a PhD in Metallurgical Engineering from Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro in Brazil, Juliana's academic background includes a strong emphasis on extractive metallurgy and Life Cycle Assessment approaches for sustainability in mineral resources supply.
Her work experience includes co-leading applied research projects in collaboration with the mining industry in Brazil, Europe, and Australia. During her graduate studies, Juliana worked as a part-time Research Assistant in Brazil and later as a full-time Research Assistant at Imperial College London on the Horizon 2020 IMPaCT project from 2019 to 2020. She remains affiliated with the institution as an Honorary Research Associate.
Juliana has established herself as an expert in her field, with a growing track record of academic publications and contributions towards advancing sustainable mining practices. She has contributed as a peer reviewer for ten international journals, is an Editorial Board Member of Geoenergy (a co-owned journal of the Geological Society and the European Association of Geoscientists and Engineers (EAGE)), and a Topical Advisory Panel member of MDPI's Minerals journal.