Dr Nikky Labranche

FAusIMM(CP)

Director of Professional Development and Dust & Respiratory Health Program Lead, The University of Queensland

Dr Nikky LaBranche is a Chartered Professional Mining Engineer with over 20 years of experience across mining operations, occupational health and safety, research, and industry leadership. She holds a Bachelor of Mining Engineering, an MBA in Finance, and a PhD from The University of Queensland, where she developed advanced dust characterisation methods now influencing how respiratory health risks are understood and managed across surface and underground mining, smelting, and engineered stone operations. Nikky leads the Dust and Respiratory Health Program at UQ’s Sustainable Minerals Institute and was appointed in 2026 as Director of Professional Development, providing strategic oversight of industry-facing education and capability-building initiatives across the Institute.

Nikky joined the AusIMM Board in 2025, following extensive service as Chair of the Health and Safety Society and Chair of the Southern Queensland Branch. Her contributions to improving worker health and safety have been recognised at both state and national levels, including the AusIMM Professional Excellence in Health and Safety Award, the Queensland Resources Council Exceptional Woman in Technological Innovation Award and the Minerals Council Australia Exceptional Women in Technological Innovation Award. She is a strong advocate for evidence-based standards, professional capability development, and cross-disciplinary collaboration to deliver safer and more sustainable outcomes for the mining industry.