Elizabeth Edwards of chemical engineering is the 2026 recipient of the Royal Society of Canada’s Miroslaw Romanowski Medal, which recognizes scientific work on environmental problems. Her research covers contaminated groundwater, wastewater treatment and anaerobic digestion.
One of the microbial cultures her lab developed, called KB-1, is dominated by unusual bacteria that dechlorinate chlorinated solvents, among the most common groundwater contaminants. It achieves complete dechlorination of chlorinated ethenes without accumulating vinyl chloride, a carcinogen.
Edwards is the founding director of BioZone, a U of T research centre that fosters collaboration between academia and industry. Her earlier honours include the Killam Prize in Engineering. Dean Chris Yip called her work pioneering.
Reported from University Professor Elizabeth Edwards awarded the Royal Society of Canada’s Miroslaw Romanowski Medal (U of T Engineering News, September 9, 2026).
More from the original reporting: news.engineering.utoronto.ca/university-professor-elizabeth-edwards-awarded-the-royal-society-of-canadas-miroslaw-romanowski-medal/