Dr Denis Fougerouse is a Senior Lecturer in the School of Earth and Planetary Sciences, Faculty of Science and Engineering, at Curtin University in Perth, Australia. He completed his PhD at the University of Western Australia’s Centre for Exploration Targeting, School of Earth and Environment, from 2012 to 2015. As a structural and economic geologist, Fougerouse pursues multiscale research interests encompassing large-scale ore systems and fluid flows to the nanochemistry of minerals. He is at the forefront of nanogeoscience, specializing in atom probe microscopy within the Geoscience Atom Probe facility at the John de Laeter Centre. His expertise extends to advanced characterization techniques including X-ray fluorescence microscopy (XFM) with the Maia detector, NanoSIMS, electron backscatter diffraction (EBSD), and focused ion beam-scanning electron microscopy (FIB-SEM). These methods enable investigations into the microstructural and microchemical evolution of ore minerals, shedding light on ore deposit formation and metallurgical extraction processes.
Fougerouse's career at Curtin includes previous roles as Research Fellow and Australian Research Council Discovery Early Career Researcher Award (DECRA) Fellow from 2019 to 2022. His prolific publications include highly cited works such as "Gold remobilisation and formation of high grade ore shoots driven by dissolution-reprecipitation replacement and Ni substitution into auriferous arsenopyrite" (Geochimica et Cosmochimica Acta, 2016), "Nanoscale gold clusters in arsenopyrite controlled by growth rate not concentration: Evidence from atom probe microscopy" (American Mineralogist, 2016), "Nanoscale distribution of Pb in monazite revealed by atom probe microscopy" (Chemical Geology, 2018), "Mechanical twinning of monazite expels radiogenic lead" (Geology, 2021), and "Dislocation-mediated interfacial re-equilibration of pyrite: An alternative model to interface-coupled dissolution-reprecipitation and gold remobilisation" (Geochimica et Cosmochimica Acta, 2024). With over 3,600 citations on Google Scholar, his research influences mineral exploration by identifying nanoscale metal concentrations in crystal defects, aiding recovery of critical minerals for clean energy technologies. Fougerouse has received the 2024 Mineralogical Society of America Award and the 2025 Young Tall Poppy Science Award as a joint Western Australian winner.