Overview
Background
Rick Valenta specialises in multidisciplinary research meeting the challenges of future mineral supply.
Professor Rick Valenta is the Director of the Sustainable Minerals Institute at the University of Queensland. He leads research aimed at improving the discovery, mining and processing of hydrothermal ore deposits, as well as understanding and mapping the risks associated with future mineral supply. His areas of focus include structural geology, geophysics and ore deposit geology, with an overall theme of better understanding the underlying processes which lead to the localisation and characteristics of these deposits. Rick also has a strong focus on development of 4D mineral systems models from deposit to region scales, using these models to improve targeting techniques, better formulate geological and resource models, and inform prediction of mineral processing performance.
Trained as a geologist, Rick worked for a short time in Petroleum exploration in Western Canada before coming to Australia to complete a PhD on the George Fisher Zn-Pb-Ag deposit in the Mount Isa region. He then spent 5 years as a lecturer at Monash University in an industry-supported role aimed at developing the science and practice of structural interpretation of geophysical data. During this period, Rick was involved in the development of very successful industry training programs and a significant number of publication and software outputs.
Rick then spent 23 years in industry roles including Chief Geologist, Chief Operating Officer, and multiple CEO roles. Companies and exploration teams under his direction have been involved in a significant number of mineral discoveries of copper, uranium and gold, as well as several transformative company transactions. In his career, Rick has held senior executive roles in teams which have raised over $150m in venture capital investment, leading to the creation of over $2b in shareholder value.
Rick is a Fellow of the AusIMM and the Society of Economic Geologists, a practising member of the Association of Professional Geologists of Ontario (APGO), and a member of the Geological Society of Australia.
Availability
- Professor Rick Valenta is:
- Available for supervision
Qualifications
- Doctor of Philosophy, Monash University
Research impacts
- Leading long term collaboration with the Queensland government aimed at realising improvements to the Queensland resource industry including
- Developing a program for mineral deposit atlases in Queensland aiding exploration
- Prospectivity analyses for critical minerals already resulting in new critical mineral discoveries in the state
- rethinking the role of precompetitive data and knowledge support foir the Queensland resource industry
- Understanding technical and non-technical challenges to the development of known critical and strategic mineral orebodies (Complex Orebodies), including
- Global mult-parameter assessment of technical and non-technical risks preventing project development
- Assessment of the potential impacts of new technologies in improved sustainability outcomes for critical and strategic mineral orebodies
- Launch of a spinout company for commercial implementation of research insights gained from the Complex Orebodies program
- Leading the UQ Node of the Resource Technology and Critical Minerals Trailblazer program
- coordination the attraction of over $40m of Industry funding for commercialisation-focused research
- making significant inroads into University Transformation leading to an increased and more commercialisation focused academic cohort
- leading the development of a robust pipeline of resource technology and critical minerals commercialisation prosects including several launched and funded companies
Works
Search Professor Rick Valenta’s works on UQ eSpace
2018
Book Chapter
Selwyn Region
Hinman, Mark and Valenta, Rick (2018). Selwyn Region. North West Mineral Province Deposit Atlas. (pp. 69-111) Brisbane, QLD Australia: Sustainable Minerals Institute.
2018
Conference Publication
Accounting for social and environmental complexities in mining project developments: the case of copper
Lebre, Eleonore, Valenta, Rick, Kemp, Deanna, Owen, John and Corder, Glen (2018). Accounting for social and environmental complexities in mining project developments: the case of copper. Complex Orebodies, Brisbane, Australia, 19-21 November 2018. Carlton, VIC, Australia: AusIMM.
2018
Journal Article
Molecular allergen profiling in horses by microarray reveals Fag e 2 from buckwheat as a frequent sensitizer
Einhorn, L., Hofstetter, G., Brandt, S., Hainisch, E. K., Fukuda, I., Kusano, K., Scheynius, A., Mittermann, I., Resch-Marat, Y., Vrtala, S., Valenta, R., Marti, E., Rhyner, C., Crameri, R., Satoh, R., Teshima, R., Tanaka, A., Sato, H., Matsuda, H., Pali-Schoell, I. and Jensen-Jarolim, E. (2018). Molecular allergen profiling in horses by microarray reveals Fag e 2 from buckwheat as a frequent sensitizer. Allergy, 73 (7), 1436-1446. doi: 10.1111/all.13417
2018
Journal Article
The asthma-rhinitis multimorbidity is associated with IgE polysensitization in adolescents and adults
Siroux, V., Ballardini, N., Soler, M., Lupinek, C., Boudier, A., Pin, I., Just, J., Nadif, R., Anto, J. M., Melen, E., Valenta, R., Wickman, M. and Bousquet, J. (2018). The asthma-rhinitis multimorbidity is associated with IgE polysensitization in adolescents and adults. Allergy, 73 (7), 1447-1458. doi: 10.1111/all.13410
2018
Other Outputs
NW Mineral Province New Discovery Program Compilation Project
Valenta, Rick and Hinman, Mark (2018). NW Mineral Province New Discovery Program Compilation Project. Brisbane, QLD Australia: Sustainable Minerals Institute.
2018
Journal Article
Betamethasone prevents human rhinovirus- and cigarette smoke-induced loss of respiratory epithelial barrier function
Ewaltl, Eva, Selb, Regina, Eckl-Dorna, Julia, Mueller, Christian A., Cabauatan, Clarissa R., Eiwegger, Thomas, Resch-Marat, Yvonne, Niespodziana, Katarzyna, Vrtala, Susanne, Valenta, Rudolf and Niederberger, Verena (2018). Betamethasone prevents human rhinovirus- and cigarette smoke-induced loss of respiratory epithelial barrier function. Scientific Reports, 8 9688. doi: 10.1038/s41598-018-27022-y
2018
Journal Article
The culprit insect but not severity of allergic reactions to bee and wasp venom can be determined by molecular diagnosis
Gattinger, Pia, Lupinek, Christian, Kalogiros, Lampros, Silar, Mira, Zidarn, Mihaela, Korosec, Peter, Koessler, Christine, Novak, Natalija, Valenta, Rudolf and Mittermann, Irene (2018). The culprit insect but not severity of allergic reactions to bee and wasp venom can be determined by molecular diagnosis. Plos One, 13 (6) e0199250, e0199250. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0199250
2018
Journal Article
PreDicta chip-based high resolution diagnosis of rhinovirus-induced wheeze
Niespodziana, Katarzyna, Stenberg-Hammar, Katarina, Megremis, Spyridon, Cabauatan, Clarissa R., Napora-Wijata, Kamila, Vacal, Phyllis C., Gallerano, Daniela, Lupinek, Christian, Ebner, Daniel, Schlederer, Thomas, Harwanegg, Christian, Soderhall, Cillia, van Hage, Marianne, Hedlin, Gunilla, Papadopoulos, Nikolaos G. and Valenta, Rudolf (2018). PreDicta chip-based high resolution diagnosis of rhinovirus-induced wheeze. Nature Communications, 9 (1) 2382. doi: 10.1038/s41467-018-04591-0
2018
Journal Article
Genetic restriction of antigen-presentation dictates allergic sensitization and disease in humanized mice
Neunkirchner, Alina, Kratzer, Bernhard, Kohler, Cordula, Smole, Ursula, Mager, Lukas F., Schmetterer, Klaus G., Trapin, Doris, Leb-Reichl, Victoria, Rosloniec, Edward, Naumanng, Ronald, Kenner, Lukas, Jahn-Schmid, Beatrice, Bohle, Barbara, Valenta, Rudolf and Pickl, Winfried F. (2018). Genetic restriction of antigen-presentation dictates allergic sensitization and disease in humanized mice. Ebiomedicine, 31, 66-78. doi: 10.1016/j.ebiom.2018.04.001
2018
Book Chapter
Ernest Henry
Valenta, Rick (2018). Ernest Henry. North West Mineral Province Deposit Atlas. (pp. 41-70) Brisbane, QLD Australia: Sustainable Minerals Institute.
2018
Book Chapter
Mount Isa
Valenta, Rick (2018). Mount Isa. North West Mineral Province Deposit Atlas. (pp. 5-40) Brisbane, QLD Australia: Sustainable Minerals Institute.
2018
Conference Publication
Estimating geometallurgical risk in undeveloped complex orebodies
Valenta, Rick, Clark, Alice, O'Sullivan, Rhonda and Thomas, Joel (2018). Estimating geometallurgical risk in undeveloped complex orebodies. Procemin Geomet 2018, Santiago, Chile, 28-30 November 2018. Santiago, Chile: Gecamin.
2018
Journal Article
House dust mites as potential carriers for IgE sensitization to bacterial antigens
Dzoro, S., Mittermann, I., Resch-Marat, Y., Vrtala, S., Nehr, M., Hirschl, A. M., Wikberg, G., Lundeberg, L., Johansson, C., Scheynius, A. and Valenta, R. (2018). House dust mites as potential carriers for IgE sensitization to bacterial antigens. Allergy, 73 (1), 115-124. doi: 10.1111/all.13260
2017
Other Outputs
Mt Isa Copper – Reactive Ground Characterisation Project
Valenta, Rick (2017). Mt Isa Copper – Reactive Ground Characterisation Project. Brisbane, QLD Australia: Sustainable Minerals Institute.
2017
Journal Article
ImmunoCAP assays: Pros and cons in allergology
van Hage, Marianne, Hamsten, Carl and Valenta, Rudolf (2017). ImmunoCAP assays: Pros and cons in allergology. Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology, 140 (4), 974-977. doi: 10.1016/j.jaci.2017.05.008
2017
Conference Publication
Gold mineralisation in the Woods Point District, Victoria – Regional and Local Controls
Valenta, Rick, Evans, Tom, Oliver, Nick, Wall, Vic, Baghian, Hassan and Cunneen, Ron (2017). Gold mineralisation in the Woods Point District, Victoria – Regional and Local Controls. Discoveries in the Tasmanides, Orange, NSW Australia, 6-8 September 2017. Sydney, NSW Australia: Australian Institute of Geoscientists.
2017
Journal Article
Single recombinant and purified major allergens and peptides How they are made and how they change allergy diagnosis and treatment
Curin, Mirela, Garib, Viktoriya and Valenta, Rudolf (2017). Single recombinant and purified major allergens and peptides How they are made and how they change allergy diagnosis and treatment. Annals of Allergy Asthma & Immunology, 119 (3), 201-209. doi: 10.1016/j.anai.2016.11.022
2017
Journal Article
Reliable mite-specific IgE testing in nasal secretions by means of allergen microarray
Berings, Margot, Arasi, Stefania, De Ruyck, Natalie, Perna, Serena, Resch, Yvonne, Lupinek, Christian, Chen, Kuan-Wei, Vrtala, Susanne, Pajno, Giovanni Battista, Bachert, Claus, Lambrecht, Bart N., Dullaers, Melissa, Valenta, Rudolf, Matricardi, Paolo Maria and Gevaert, Philippe (2017). Reliable mite-specific IgE testing in nasal secretions by means of allergen microarray. Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology, 140 (1), 301-303. doi: 10.1016/j.jaci.2016.11.047
2017
Journal Article
Computational analysis of multimorbidity between asthma, eczema and rhinitis
Aguilar, Daniel, Pinart, Mariona, Koppelman, Gerard H., Saeys, Yvan, Nawijn, Martijn C., Postma, Dirkje S., Akdis, Muebeccel, Auffray, Charles, Ballereau, Stephane, Benet, Marta, Garcia-Aymerich, Judith, Ramon Gonzalez, Juan, Guerra, Stefano, Keil, Thomas, Kogevinas, Manolis, Lambrecht, Bart, Lemonnier, Nathanael, Melen, Erik, Sunyer, Jordi, Valenta, Rudolf, Valverde, Sergi, Wickman, Magnus, Bousquet, Jean, Oliva, Baldo and Anto, Josep M. (2017). Computational analysis of multimorbidity between asthma, eczema and rhinitis. Plos One, 12 (6) e0179125. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0179125
2017
Journal Article
Blocking antibodies induced by immunization with a hypoallergenic parvalbumin mutant reduce allergic symptoms in a mouse model of fish allergy
Freidl, Raphaela, Gstoettner, Antonia, Baranyi, Ulrike, Swoboda, Ines, Stolz, Frank, Focke-Tejkl, Margarete, Wekerle, Thomas, van Ree, Ronald, Valenta, Rudolf and Linhart, Birgit (2017). Blocking antibodies induced by immunization with a hypoallergenic parvalbumin mutant reduce allergic symptoms in a mouse model of fish allergy. Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology, 139 (6), 1897-+. doi: 10.1016/j.jaci.2016.10.018
Funding
Current funding
Past funding
Supervision
Availability
- Professor Rick Valenta is:
- Available for supervision
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Supervision history
Current supervision
-
Doctor Philosophy
The Footprint of the giant Mount Isa Cu-Pb-Zn-Ag system
Principal Advisor
Other advisors: Dr Nathan Fox
-
Doctor Philosophy
Regional Geological context of the giant Wafi-Golpu Cu-Au deposit, PNG
Principal Advisor
-
Doctor Philosophy
How and to what extent can copper metal be substituted by other metals and materials?
Principal Advisor
Other advisors: Associate Professor Steven Micklethwaite
-
Doctor Philosophy
Incorporation of Sustainability Variables in Strategic Mine Planning
Principal Advisor
Other advisors: Dr Claire Cote
-
Doctor Philosophy
Building Geospatial Models to Inform Critical Mineral Extraction from Mine Waste: Towards a New Industry Standard
Associate Advisor
Other advisors: Associate Professor Anita Parbhakar-Fox
-
Doctor Philosophy
Developing Orebody Knowledge of VHMS Systems in the Rosebery Mineral Field, Tasmania
Associate Advisor
Other advisors: Associate Professor Anita Parbhakar-Fox, Dr Nathan Fox
-
Doctor Philosophy
Resolving indium cycling in mine waste through multi-scale characterisation: implications for recovery
Associate Advisor
Other advisors: Dr Laura Jackson, Associate Professor Anita Parbhakar-Fox
Completed supervision
-
2025
Doctor Philosophy
Learning a mineralised fault network at the Cracow Gold Mine from geologically-informed 3D synthetic seismic data
Principal Advisor
Other advisors: Associate Professor Dion Weatherley, Professor Geoffrey McLachlan
-
2024
Doctor Philosophy
Mesoscopic Heterogeneity and Pre-Concentration Potential
Principal Advisor
Other advisors: Dr Nathan Fox
-
2024
Doctor Philosophy
Study of Application of Machine Learning and Deep Learning in Resource Estimation
Principal Advisor
Other advisors: Dr Gordon Forbes
-
2022
Doctor Philosophy
Geometallurgical proxies for comminution using hyperspectral imaging and multi-element geochemistry
Principal Advisor
-
2025
Master Philosophy
Operational Benchmarking and Ground Response Analysis for Undercutting in High-Stress Cave Mines
Associate Advisor
Other advisors: Mr Andre Van As
-
2025
Doctor Philosophy
Multi-scale geometallurgical characterisation of legacy tailings for sustainable critical metal valorisation: A case study exploring the secondary prospectivity of cobalt
Associate Advisor
Other advisors: Associate Professor Anita Parbhakar-Fox
Media
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