Professor Richard McDermid is Director of AAO (Australian Astronomical Optics) – a former governmental organisation with more than 50 years experience building innovative instrumentation and software for the world’s largest observatories. He leads a team of over 60 professional engineers, academics, and business administrators working across industry and research to deliver complex projects that span astronomy, space, human health, and defence.

Professor McDermid also leads an active research group studying the stellar populations and dynamics of galaxies in order to understand how they have formed and evolved over the lifetime of the Universe. He is Director of the Macquarie University Astrophysics and Space Technologies Research Centre, and Macquarie Node Leader of the recent Australian Research Council (ARC) Centre of Excellence for All-Sky Astrophysics in 3 Dimensions (ASTRO 3D). He has been awarded 'high citation' status by Clarivate Web of Science for 2021 and 2022, and was recently recognised as the leading national research contributor for astronomy in The Australian’s Research Awards 2023.

Professor McDermid has over 20 years experience combining astronomical research with instrumentation development for major optical telescopes. He has led and participated in major international research collaborations and surveys, including SAURON, Atlas3D (co-lead), SAMI, SDSS-IV and MAGPI. Professor McDermid has also played key roles in developing new instrumentation for major observatories, in particular using integral field spectroscopy and adaptive optics. He is the Project Scientist for "MAVIS" - a revolutionary new instrument that will provide near-diffraction limited optical imaging and IFU spectroscopy on the European Southern Observatory (ESO) Very Large Telescope (VLT), and the first VLT facility instrument built by an Australian-led consortium.

Professor McDermid regularly serves on academic and observatory-related committees at the national and international level (e.g. the Australian Astronomy Limited Science Advisory Committee chair, and Magellan Observatory Science Advisory Committee), and chairing allocation committees for Australian national and international facilities, including the ESO Observing Programmes Committee (OPC) and Swinburne University's Keck Observatory access. He has also chaired the Macquarie Physics and Astronomy Department's Diversity and Inclusion committee, and is a member of the Macquarie University Ally Network. Professor McDermid currently sits on the ARC College of Experts, and the Australian Academy of Sciences National Committee for Astronomy.