[2] Heisler spent two years as a post doctoral researcher at York University with Mike De Robertis, where she also began her work in science education.
[1] Heisler also taught two undergraduate classes at York, gave public talks and inspired young women in science.
[1][2] In 1997, whilst working with Stuart Lumsden and Jeremy Bailey, she published her most notable paper on why only some Seyfert II galaxies have hidden broad line regions that are only visible in polarised light.
[5][1] Heisler and her team thought this was due to a link between the infrared colour of the galaxy and the broad line region existing.
[1][2] After her death, the Astronomical Society of Australia created the Charlene Heisler Prize which is awarded annually to the most outstanding PhD thesis in the field of astronomy at an Australian university.