Joanne Etheridge has developed new electron diffraction and microscopy techniques to measure the structure of materials at the atomic scale. Through the application of these, as well as established techniques, she has solved a number of otherwise intractable problems across a diverse range of functional materials, including superconductors, semiconductors, ion-conductors, and photoactive and plasmonic materials. She has also led the establishment of ultra-high resolution (‘aberration-corrected’) electron microscopy in Australia, building the necessary theoretical and experimental expertise, as well as providing education and mentorship to many young researchers in this field.