Prof. Cairney's research focuses on the relationship between the atomic scale structure and properties of materials, with particular emphasis on the application and development of new microscopy techniques. She is a world expert on atom probe microscopy, a technique that provides atomic-scale 3-dimensional maps revealing the precise composition and structure of small volumes of material. She is currently applying this method to address topics as diverse as catalyst nanoparticles for biofuel production, the accuracy of dating the oldest rocks in the solar system and multilayers for fuel cells. She is one of the youngest full professors at the University of Sydney, and one of only a handful of female professors of engineering in Australia.