Affiliate of Centre for Environmental Responsibility in Mining
Centre for Environmental Responsibility in Mining
Faculty of Engineering, Architecture and Information Technology
Affiliate of Centre for Geoanalytical Mass Spectrometry
Centre for Geoanalytical Mass Spectrometry
Faculty of Science
Professorial Research Fellow
Sustainable Minerals Institute
Faculty of Engineering, Architecture and Information Technology
Availability:
Available for supervision
Media expert
Professor Longbin Huang is a Full Professor and leader of an interdisciplinary research group in Ecological Engineering in Mining. His research focuses on mine waste rehabilitation, ecological engineering, and geomicrobial soil formation, integrating ecological, microbiological, and environmental processes to address sustainability challenges in the mining sector, with influence spanning industry, academia, and policy. Professor Huang leads cutting-edge research in: Geo-microbial ecology, Mineral bioweathering, Microbially and rhizosphere driven soil formation from Tailings Minerals.
Professor Huang's work has advanced nature-based solutions for transforming mine tailings, waste rock, and bauxite residues into sustainable ecosystems. Supported by approximately AUD $23 million in competitive and industry-funded research over the past 15 years, his team has developed and demonstrated innovative rehabilitation technologies with field-scale applications. These include a pioneering technology for the treatment and dealkalization of bauxite residues, which has been commercialized through the University of Queensland startup Bioculum Pty Ltd, and novel approaches for preventing acid mine drainage generation in mine waste materials.
Professor Huang has published over 190 scholarly outputs, including journal articles, conference papers, patents, and book chapters. His research has attracted broad international recognition and has contributed significantly to the advancement of mine waste management, ecological restoration, and sustainable mining practices worldwide.
He is highly experienced in industry-partnered research and translation of knowledge into field-based technologies for tackling large environmental challenges in the mining industry, for example, technologies for tackling global tailings problem. Since 2010, he has led many large and industry-partnered research projects attracting about $23M funding. The research aims to deliver transformative knowledge and practices (i.e., technologies/methdologies) in the rehabilitation of mine wastes (e.g., tailings, mineral residues, spoils, waste rocks) and mined landscapes for non-polluting and ecologically and financially sustainable outcomes. Prof Huang has successfully demonstrated innovative methodology and technology to achieve nature-based outcomes in treating and rehabilitating tailings and waste rocks. Prof Huang’s research program was featured in Rio Tinto’s media releases as one of the four most successful global R&D partnerships in 2024. Prof Huang led the development of the first field-feasible technology to treat and dealkalize alkaline bauxite residues for sustainable rehabilitation. His industry-partnered research was recognised in 2019 UQ’s Partners in Research Excellence Award (Resilient Environments) (Rio Tinto and QAL). Prof Huang is also developing new knowledge and technologies for achieving non-polluting and ecologically sustainable rehabilitation of, for example, coal mine spoils and tailings, Fe-ore tailings, bauxite tailings (from mining bauxite), and Cu/Pb-Zn tailings.
Membership of Board, Committee and Society
Professional associations and societies
2010 – Present Australian Soil Science Society.
2023 – Present AuSIMM
2015 – 2025 Present American Society of Mining and Reclamation (ASMR)
Editorial boards/services
2025 - present: Member of Editorial Board, Energy & Environment Nexus
As an agricultural and resource economist, Thilak Mallawaarachchi focuses on building resilient and sustainable food, agricultural and natural resource systems under climate, market and policy uncertainty. His work combines economics, public policy and systems thinking to improve decision-making across agriculture, agribusiness, water and environmental management.
With over 35 years of international experience across Australia, Asia and Africa, Thilak has contributed to research and policy development on climate adaptation, agricultural productivity, water allocation, food systems, natural resource management and rural development. He has worked with governments, industry and international development agencies to address challenges affecting farmers, communities and ecosystems.
Current multidisciplinary research focuses on economic modelling and policy analysis to inform institutional arrangements in agriculture, food systems and land management, including:
• Agricultural economics and rural development • Risk management and resilience • Industrial organisation and entrepreneurship • Collective decision-making and cooperation • Contract theory and its applications • Environmental and resource economics
His work has informed major Australian policy initiatives, including climate adaptation strategies, Murray-Darling Basin water reform and national food policy, while supporting agricultural development programs across the Asia-Pacific and Africa aimed at improving agricultural productivity, reducing food loss and waste, and enhancing market access.
Queensland Alliance for Agriculture and Food Innovation
Availability:
Available for supervision
Dr Vivian Rincon is a microbiologist from Universidad de Los Andes in Colombia . She joined the University of Queensland (UQ) in 2008 as RA to work in projects related to plant-pathogen interactions and soil microbiology. She obtained a scholarship from the Grain Research and Development Corporation (GRDC) to start her PhD on the effect of tillage on soil microbial communities in wheat fields. Following her studies, she joined Queensland Alliance for Agriculture and Food Innovation (QAAFI) at UQ to work on different aspects of disease management in broadacre crops. Currently, she is a research fellow at the Centre for Horticulturals Science (CHS) working on an integrated disease management approach for the Macadamia industry.
