Rate My Professor Claire Lenehan

Professor Claire Lenehan is a Professor in the College of Science and Engineering at Flinders University, serving as Dean (Research) and Director of the Flinders Factory of the Future since February 2025. She obtained her PhD in Analytical Chemistry from Deakin University in 2003, focusing on sequential injection and liquid chromatography for chemiluminescent detection of opiates. Her research specializations include forensic and analytical chemistry, with applications in environmental health, tattoo ink degradation, cultural heritage analysis of Australian plant exudates, and marine bilgewater management. Lenehan has extensive experience in product development, collaborating with industry partners such as Jurlique International to enhance plant extract efficiency and yield, and with the Defence Science and Technology Group on technologies for detecting chemical hazards and concealed explosives.

In her leadership roles, she chaired the Australian Institute of Nuclear Science and Engineering (AINSE) from 2016 to 2019, served as AINSE Council Member from 2012 to 2023, and currently chairs the Australian Solar Thermal Research Institute Steering Committee while holding membership on the Strategic Scientific User Advisory Panel at GNS Science. She is Treasurer of the Analytical Division of the Royal Australian Chemical Institute, AINSE Director, and AINSE Councillor. Lenehan's teaching covers forensic and analytical chemistry, separation science, chemical structure and bonding, chemical reactivity, and inorganic and organometallic chemistry. Her awards include the 2011 Royal Australian Chemical Institute Analytical and Environment Division Robert Cattrall Medal, 2010 Flinders University Faculty of Science and Engineering Executive Dean’s Award for Excellence in Teaching, 2010 Runner-up UniJobs Lecturer of the Year, 2007 UniJobs Lecturer of the Year, and 2017 National Institute for Forensic Science Award for Best Chapter in a Book. With 88 research outputs, notable publications comprise 'Analytical investigation of melanin’s impact on the laser fragmentation and morphology of yellow tattoo pigments' (2026, Photochemical & Photobiological Sciences), 'Challenges in laser tattoo removal: the impact of titanium dioxide on photodegradation of yellow inks' (2025, Archives of Toxicology), and 'Combining ATR far- and mid-infrared spectroscopy to distinguish native Australian plant exudates for cultural heritage analysis' (2025, Journal of Archaeological Science).