Curators & contacts
About our curators
Mikael U. Siversson
Head of Department
Mikael's research focusses on Cretaceous and Cenozoic elasmobranchs (sharks and rays) from Australia, North America and Europe but with focus on Australian mid-Cretaceous and Miocene faunas, and cretaceous dinosaurs and marine reptiles from Australia and northern Europe.
Peter Downes
Curator
Peter is responsible for the Simpson, MDC and the Museum’s original mineral collections; the Rock Collection; the Gem Collection; and the Meteorite Collection.
Helen Ryan
Collections Manager (Palaeontology)
Helen has been with Earth and Planetary Sciences since 2009. In addition to looking after the palaeontological collection, other duties include managing the associated databases, preparing fossil specimens, organising inter-institutional loans and managing fieldwork logistics.
Adele H. Pentland
Project Officer (Palaeontology)
Adele has been a Project Officer in Earth and Planetary Sciences since 2026. In addition to registering new palaeontological specimens, other duties include preparing fossil specimens and organising fieldwork logistics.
Geoff Deacon
Collection Manager, Minerals
Geoff's research includes the Desert Fireball Network, Minerals, Meteorites, Megafauna, Dinosaurs, and Climate Change.
