Students
CURRENT STUDENTS
PhD Student. Research topic:
Email: m.almarzooq@postgrad.curtin.edu.au
Research Topic: Modelling and analysis of the effect of CO2 saturation on amplitudes and traveltimes of seismic waves recorded by distributed acoustic sensors.
Aditya holds a BS-MS dual degree in Physics from the Indian Institute of Science Education and Research (IISER) Kolkata. He previously worked as a Junior Research Fellow at the Aryabhatta Research Institute of Observational Sciences (ARIES), Nainital. Currently, his research focuses on utilizing distributed acoustic sensing (DAS) data to model temporal variations in seismic traveltimes and amplitudes resulting from CO₂ injection. By combining numerical simulations with field data, he aims to enhance the characterization and monitoring of CO₂ plumes in carbon capture and storage (CCS) systems.
Email: aditya.priyadarshi@postgrad.curtin.edu.au
Master student. Research topic: “Seismic Monitoring Using Uncontrolled Artificial Sources of Energy”.
Since receiving his degree in geophysics from Curtin University Graeme worked in Australia and overseas for many years in the oil and gas exploration industry. His experience is in seismic interpretation, processing, new ventures, and asset management, particularly in the SE Asian region. He has held technical and senior management roles in both service and E&P companies. His most recent role was exploration advisor for a controlled source electromagnetic (CSEM) company based in Kuala Lumpur, where CSEM is used as a de-risking tool for offshore exploration and development projects.
Email: graeme.baillie@postgrad.curtin.edu.au
PhD Student. Research topic: Passive seismic imaging and monitoring.
Mikhail Vorobev graduated from Lomonosov Moscow State University with a Master of Science in Geophysics in 2016. He worked as a lead geophysicist specialising in seismic data processing and participated in several research cruises. Now Mikhail works on monitoring microseismic events during the process of deep mining of coal resources.
Email: mikhail.vorobev@postgrad.curtin.edu.au
PhD Student. Research topic: Automated drill cuttings classification for prior model building in geophysical inversion. This PhD project is aimed for automation of the classification and quantification process of drill cuttings, which are important source of information about the lithology of underground geological formations.
Qualification: Graduated Bauman Moscow State Technical University as MSc in Engineering Technology (2016-2022)
Email: nikita.beloborodov@postgrad.curtin.edu.au
PhD Student. Research Topic: Data Processing and Inversion for Seismic While Drilling and Mining Using Distributed Acoustic Sensing.
Emad holds Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees in Electrical Engineering from King Fahd University of Petroleum & Minerals (KFUPM) and King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST), respectively. Emad has over ten years of experience as a geophysical research scientist while working with a major Oil and Gas company. His experience is in 2D, 3D, 4D and SWD seismic signal processing. Emad has been actively volunteering at professional societies and is currently the communications coordinator of the WA Branch of the Australian Society of Exploration Geophysicists and an editor of the ASEG Newsletter.
Email: emad.al-hemyari@postgrad.curtin.edu.au
PhD Student. Research topic: “Innovative geophysics for drilling trajectory control” working in collaboration with MinEx CRC, Australia. The research focuses on developing and testing LWD sensors for real-time sensing while drilling.
Aruni holds a Bachelor’s degree in Civil Engineering and a Master of Engineering in Geosystem Exploration and Petroleum Engineering from the Asian Institute of Technology (AIT), Thailand. She also possesses a Master of Science degree in Geophysics from Curtin University, Australia. Aruni has work experience as a Lecturer in Civil Engineering for 3+ years and as a Project Geophysicist for 2+ years.
Currently, she is a Sessional Academic at the Department of Exploration Geophysics at Curtin University and a committee member of the Australian Society of Exploration Geophysicists (ASEG) WA branch.
Email: r.rajanayake@postgrad.curtin.edu.au
VISITING STUDENTS
Visiting PhD Student. Research topic: viscoelastic attenuation inversion and high-resolution seismic data processing.
Zhidi is a Visiting PhD Student. He was granted a Scholarship from the Chengdu University of Technology to conduct his study at Curtin University on from November 2024 to November 2025. He is a Ph.D. candidate in the School of Geophysics, Chengdu University of Technology, and join the master-doctor combined program in 2022. His main research interests include seismic data processing, viscoelastic attenuation compensation, and inversion techniques.
Email: zhidi.an@curtin.edu.au
Visiting PhD Student. Research topic: Designing nonlinear sweep signal to improve the resolution of vibroseis acqusition
Yang is a Visiting PhD Student. He was awarded a Scholarship from Chengdu University of Technology to study at Curtin University on vibroseis from November 2024 to November 2025. He is a PhD candidate in the School of Geophysics, Chengdu University of Technology, China. His main research interests include geophysical inversion and design of vibroseis.
Email: Yang.Liu2@curtin.edu.au
Visiting PhD Student. Research topic: Monitoring the variations of subsurface properties using continuous DAS data
Wanting is a Visiting PhD Student. She was awarded a Scholarship from the Chinese Scholarship Council to study at Curtin University on continuous DAS monitoring for CO2 geosequestration from April 2023 to May 2024. She is a Ph.D. candidate in the School of Geoscience, China University of Petroleum (East China), and join the master-doctor combined program in 2019. She is a member of EAGE and SEG. Her main research interests include rock physics modeling and CO2 geosequestration monitoring.
Email: wanting.hou@curtin.edu.au
Visiting PhD Student. Research topic: Denoising distributed acoustic sensing (DAS) data using machine learning.
Xihao was granted a scholarship from the Chinese Scholarship Council to pursue his research at Curtin University from April 2023 to May 2024. The research aims to enhance the accuracy and reliability of geophysical measurements in a distributed sensing framework. He is a Ph.D. candidate in the School of Geoscience, China University of Petroleum (East China), and received a Master’s degree in geological resources and engineering from China University of Petroleum (East China) in 2019. He is a member of EAGE, SPWLA and SPE. His primary research interests include Machine learning denoising and borehole radiation and reception.
Email: xihao.gu@curtin.edu.au
Visiting PhD student. Research topic: Seismic Monitoring for CO2 Geosequestration Using Continuous DAS Data.
Fubin is a Visiting PhD Student. He was granted a Scholarship from the Chinese Scholarship Council to conduct his study at Curtin University from June 2023 to June 2025. His research aims to monitor the CO2 geosequestration with the Rayleigh wave response recorded in DAS data. He is a PhD candidate in the School of Geoscience, China University of Petroleum (East China), and joined the direct-doctor program in September 2020. He is a student member of SEG and EAGE. His main research interest includes seismic interpretation for CO2 geosequestration and rock physics modelling.
Email: fubin.chen@curtin.edu.au
Visiting Research Associate. Research topic : Geophysical imaging using VSP data to image subsurface structures and to monitor subsurface CO2 plume in carbon capture stage (CCS) sites.
Hyunwook’s primary research interests include geophysical monitoring for carbon capture and storage and Vertical Seismic Profiling (VSP) monitoring, Full waveform inversion (FWI). This research aims to develop new techniques to estimate the CO2 plume changes of onshore VSP data and apply the developed new techniques to the monitoring process of the CCS project in progress and examine the applicability of the seismic monitoring techniques.
Email: hyunwook.jo@curtin.edu.au
PAST STUDENTS
PhD Student. Research topic: Development of workflows (regression, neural network) to obtain petrophysical/hydrogeological parameters that can be applied to the historical bores.
Olga Filiptsova is a PhD student within the Discipline of Exploration Geophysics at Curtin University.
Olga received her Bachelor’s in Mining Engineering from Irkutsk National Research Technical University, Russia in 1994 and her Master’s in Hydrogeology at the University of Western Australia in 2017. She has extensive experience working as a petrophysicist and hydrogeologist.
Email: olga.filiptsova@student.curtin.edu.au
PhD Student. Research topic: Utilisation of drill-bit seismic source in cross-hole survey for hard rock mineral exploration.
Chris has a Bachelor’s in Mining Engineering awarded by Henan Polytechnic University in 2012; and a Master of Engineering, Mining and Mineral Engineering, from University of Adelaide in 2014.
Email: zixing.qin@student.curtin.edu.au
PhD Student (part-time). Research topic: Imaging and Acquisition of Seismic Reflection Data in Complex Environments
Aleksandar earned his BSc in Geophysics in 1985 from the Faculty of Mining and Geology, Belgrade.
PhD Student. Research topic: Time-lapse electromagnetic and seismo-electromagnetic sensing in the subsurface
Bryce received a BSc with Honours in geophysics from Curtin University in 2015.
Email: bryce.teo@postgrad.curtin.edu.au
Rabea is a PhD Candidate in Exploration Geophysics. Her PhD project is about the effects of large scale geo-electrical structures on inversion of magnetotelluric data. In 2018, she was awarded the Research Training Program Stipend Scholarship funded by the Australian Government to pursue her PhD. She was awarded the Best Student Poster award for “Magnetotelluric, basin structure and hydrodynamic; south west of Western Australia”, presented at the Australian Exploration Geoscience Conference, 2018, Sydney, Australia.
Rabea completed her Bachelor of Science in Physics and Master’s of Science in Geophysics. Her principal research interests lie in the field of Magnetotellurics and her areas of expertise include magnetotelluric data acquisition, processing, inversion and interpretation; magnetic and electromagnetic exploration and geomagnetic observatory.
Email: bibirabea.sedaghat@postgrad.curtin.edu.au
PhD Student. Research topic: Low or zero cost geotechnical hardness predictive models for iron ore
Lorraine is a current PhD Student in the discipline of Exploration Geophysics. Lorraine earned a BSc from Macquarie University in 1982 and a Graduate Diploma from Riverina Murray Institute of Higher Education in 1987. She has vast experience working as a principal Geologist, Geometallurgist and Engineer.
Lorraine has worked as an exploration and mine geologist in the Australian mining industry since 1982, commencing underground in Tasmania and moving to Western Australia where she has worked in the Mineral Sands, bauxite and Pilbara iron ore industries. She has experience with surveying, ore processing and metallurgy in various job roles leading to an appreciation of the issues common to these ore commodities.
Lorraine’s research topic is on low or zero cost geotechnical hardness predictive models for iron ore. Her thesis uses data collected during investigations into ore hardness and brings together geological, geotechnical and geophysical data.
Email: lorraine.crockford@postgrad.curtin.edu.au
PhD Student. Research topic: A framework toward integrated quantitative Earth models
Seda holds a B.Sc of Earth Science and graduated in 2007 with a Master of Engineering in Geophysics from the University of Strasbourg (France ) .
Seda’s research project is titled ” Cooperative seismic impedance inversion and machine learning for recovery of geotechnical parameters “ with potential application in mineral exploration.
She has 13 year experience as an exploration geophysicist in the Oil &Gas industry , mostly working with Junior Exploration companies in Melbourne, she is also a member of ASEG and EAGE.
Email: seda.rouxel@student.curtin.edu.au
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/seda-rouxel-6b663032/
PhD Student. Research topic: Estimation of attenuation from borehole seismic data using constrained full-waveform inversion
Anastasia has designed an attenuation estimation algorithm from VSP data using waveform inversion constrained by high resolution 1D velocity and density model obtained from well log data. The high-resolution velocity model allows explicit modelling of short-period multiples and scattering, and hence allows separation of intrinsic and scattering attenuation. Anastasia has applied this algorithm to a number of VSP datasets both onshore and offshore Australia.
Anastasia has a BSc and MSc in geophysics from Lomonosov Moscow State University.
Email: a.pirogova@postgrad.curtin.edu.au
PhD Student (part-time). Research topic: Pre-stack depth Imaging in hard-rock environments
Sasha is a part-time student as well as lecturer at Curtin. He obtained his MSc in Geophysics in 2005 from the Faculty of Mining and Geology, Serbia.
Email: sasha.ziramov@curtin.edu.au
MPhil student. Research topic: Advanced borehole seismic imaging techniques for mineral exploration
Sana is an experienced geophysicist with experience in 3D Seismic acquisition. She received her Master of Science in Geophysics in 2011 from University of Belgrade.
Email: sana.zulic@postgrad.curtin.edu.au
PhD Student. Research topic: Seismic rock characterisation in an onshore environment with complex geology and sparse seismic data: South West CO2 Geosequestration Hub case study
Sergey’s research involves quantitative interpretation of sparse land 3D data for CO2 storage and in-depth analysis of the pressure effects on 4D seismic signatures in offshore oil fields.
Sergey is a Geoscientist with over 35 years experience in the resource industry with a track record of hydrocarbon discoveries. He has experience in a variety of tectonic and stratigraphic settings in over 15 petroleum basins and over 10 mineral provinces worldwide.
Sergey received his MSc in Geophysics from Tashkent University in 1980.
Email: sergey.shevchenko@postgrad.curtin.edu.au
PhD Student. Research topic: Elemental analysis via prompt gamma neutron activation for diamond drilling
I completed my Bachelor and Master degrees in Applied Geophysics at the University of Belgrade in Serbia. While pursuing my masters, I also started one-year internship in Agile Seismic, a privately-owned, geophysical company where I was working as a seismic processing geophysicist. I continued to work there for two years once my internship was completed.
Currently I am pursuing a PhD at the Discipline of Exploration Geophysics at Curtin University. The research project I am working on aims to design, develop and test a prototype of a nuclear (prompt gamma neutron activation) logging-while-drilling tool for slim-holes in mineral exploration. Such a tool could measure the elemental matrix composition in near real-time, and with timely, reliable data we can alter exploration drilling decisions; thus, transforming mineral exploration where information about elemental composition usually arrives weeks afterwards.
Providing timely and reliable data, this innovative tool I am working on will change existing, drilling strategy, providing considerable savings to mineral exploration industry. This technology would drastically reduce time and cost of many exploration and development programs in most base metals mines and provide information that would improve almost every stage of mining and mineral process. The potential of this project is recognised by Boart Longyear Ltd, the largest drilling operator and manufacturer of drilling equipment for mining and drilling companies worldwide, who funded this project.
Email: snezana.petrovic@postgrad.curtin.edu.au
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/snezanapetrovic90/
PhD Student. Research topic: Modelling elastic properties of clastic rocks from petrographic information
Most of Jiabin’s research effort is focused on developing and optimising a robust and practical workflow for modelling of effective elastic moduli of porous rocks from microtomographic images, and testing them using laboratory measurements.
Jiabin has a MSc from China University of Petroleum (Beijing), Beijing, PR China, and is a recipient of the Curtin International Postgraduate Scholarship.
Email: jiabin.liang@postgrad.curtin.edu.au
PhD Student. Research topic: Continuous downhole seismic monitoring for CO2 geosequestration
Roman Isaenkov graduated from Lomonosov Moscow State University with a Master of Science in Geophysics (with high distinction) in 2016. He worked as a geophysicist specialising in high-resolution marine seismic acquisition and processing. During his internship at CSIRO in 2018-2019,
Roman studied the effect of CO2 plume on time-lapse seismic data. He was granted a Curtin International Postgrad scholarship by CO2CRC to complete his PhD on Continuous downhole seismic monitoring for CO2 geosequestration during 2019-2022.
Email: roman.isaenkov@postgrad.curtin.edu.au
Mr. André Calazans Matos de Souza
Andre is a current Ph.D. student in Exploration Geophysics, Curtin University Perth. Andre holds a Master’s in Geophysics and a Bachelor’s in Geophysics from the Federal University of Brazil.
His PhD thesis at Curtin University is titled “Seismic signature of gold mineralisation from laboratory rock physics and petrology characterisation” and involves investigating the effects of mineral replacement and textural development associated with gold deposits on seismic signature, using laboratory measurements, rock physics modeling, and seismic modeling.
In addition to his academic skills, he is an accomplished geophysicist with the experience and ability to generate and assess petroleum prospects using geophysical and geological data. He tackles geological/geophysical challenges from different types of geological settings, including compressional and extensional regimes, applying general knowledge and concepts of petroleum and mineral systems, quantitative seismic interpretation, and basin analysis to assist the exploration and development teams. In summary, he has been transferring his knowledge in petroleum geophysics methods into mineral domains.
Andre’s achievements include being awarded Best Poster for his poster entitled “Seismic signature of gold mineralisation from laboratory rock physics and petrology characterisation” at the Sub20 Inaugural Deep Earth Imaging Conference – CSIRO (12-13 February 2020).
Andre is a recipient of the Curtin University Academic Merit Scholarship (2018-2021), CSIRO Scholarship (2018-2021) and the Brazilian National Agency of Oil (ANP) Scholarship (2003-2004).
Email: a.calazans@student.curtin.edu.au
PhD Student. Research topic: Seismic monitoring of CO2 geosequestration using ambient noise and non-primary wavefield
Evgenii Sidenko is a PhD candidate in Exploration Geophysics at WASM:MECE, Curtin University, Australia. Evgenii completed his BSc (2012) and MSc (2014) degrees in Geophysics at Lomonosov Moscow State University, Russia. He has more than 5 years of working experience in seismic data processing for oil and gas and civil engineering projects in Moscow, Russia.
Evgenii’s PhD research at Curtin University is supported by the Curtin Oil and Gas Innovation Centre and CO2CRC Limited. Evgenii’s research topic is “Seismic Monitoring of CO2 Geosequestration Using Ambient Noise and Non-primary Wavefield”. His research focuses on utilisation of free-surface multiples for DAS VSP imaging, seismic interferometry, study of DAS capabilities for monitoring purposes and analysis of passive seismic data recorded by DAS in application for CO2 monitoring.
Email: evgenii.sidenko@postgrad.curtin.edu.au