CE

Cigdem Eskicioglu

Institució Catalana de Recerca i Estudis Avançats, Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya, University of British Columbia

Research areas: Energy · Renewable Energy, Sustainability and the Environment · Anaerobic Digestion and Biogas Production · Wastewater Treatment and Nitrogen Removal · Wastewater Treatment and Reuse

ORCID iD 0000-0002-7673-134X
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About

I am a Senior Research Professor with the Catalan Institution for Research and Advanced Studies (ICREA) and a Distinguished Researcher in the Group of Environmental Engineering and Microbiology (GEMMA) at the Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya · BarcelonaTech (UPC). My research focuses on environmental engineering, thermochemical and biochemical reactor technologies, resource recovery, wastewater treatment, and the circular economy.

Prior to joining ICREA in 2025, I was a Professor of Environmental Engineering at the University of British Columbia (UBC), Canada, where I founded and led the Bioreactor Technology Group (BTG). My research advanced technologies for phosphorus recovery, ammonia recovery, biomethane production, biohydrogen production, and biocrude oil generation from municipal and industrial waste streams. BTG operates four state of the art laboratory facilities in advanced anaerobic digestion, particle sizing and imaging, thermochemical biomass processing, and micropollutant detection, and is internationally recognized for research excellence and academic industry partnerships.

From 2020 to 2025, I held the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada (NSERC)/Metro Vancouver Senior Industrial Research Chair in Resource Recovery from Wastewater, leading a large multi stakeholder research program focused on next generation municipal wastewater resource recovery and water resource recovery facilities.

Employment

Education

Education history is unavailable.

Projects & Funding

  • Temperature Controlled Shaker for Development of Biochemical and Thermochemical Waste Treatment Processes University of British Columbia
    2023 - 2024
  • Valorization of Hydrothermal Liquefaction Aqueous Stream towards Commercial Viability of Municipal Sludge to Biocrude Oil Conversion Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada (NSERC)
    2022 - 2027
  • A gas chromatography tandem mass spectrometry (GC-MS/MS) system for trace contaminant of emerging concern (TCEC) research Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada
    2022 - 2023
  • UBC BioComposites Research Network University of British Columbia
    2022 - 2025
  • A Gas Chromatography Tandem Mass Spectrometry System for Trace Contaminant of Emerging Concern (TCEC) Research Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council
    2022 - 2024
  • An Accelerated Weathering Tester University of British Columbia
    2021 - 2022
  • Towards Development of a Biodegradable Polymer for Use in Single-use Surgical Gloves Mathematics of Information Technology and Complex Systems (MITACS) Accelerate
    2021 - 2021
  • Towards Development of a Biodegradable Polymer for Use in Single-use Surgical Gloves FEED Engineering
    2021 - 2021
  • Training in Applied Biotechnology for Environmental Sustainability (TABES) Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada
    2021 - 2027
  • NSERC/Metro Vancouver Senior Industrial Research Chair (IRC) in Advanced Resource Recovery from Wastewater, Research Chair Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada
    2020 - 2025
  • NSERC/Metro Vancouver Senior Industrial Research Chair (IRC) in Advanced Resource Recovery from Wastewater, Research Chair Greater Vancouver Sewerage and Drainage District
    2020 - 2025
  • Laboratory and Field Scale Biodegradability Assessment for Pela Case Products for Environmentally End-of-Life Management Open Mind Developments Corporation (Pela)
    2019 - 2021
  • Temperature Phased Anaerobic Digestion with Archaea Bioaugmentor for Lulu Island Wastewater Treatment Plant Digester Upgrade Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada
    2019 - 2023
  • Temperature Phased Anaerobic Digestion with Side Stream Archaea Enrichment for Lulu Island Wastewater Treatment Plant Digester Upgrade Greater Vancouver Sewerage and Drainage District
    2019 - 2023
  • An Innovative and Energy-Efficient Radio Frequency Pretreatment on Emerging Micropollutants and Transformation Products in Anaerobic Sludge Digestion for Waste Reuse H2020 European Research Council
    2019 - 2022
  • UBC Biocomposites Research Network University of British Columbia Okanagan Campus Eminence funds
    2019 - 2021
  • Laboratory and Field Scale Biodegradability Assessment for Pela Case Products for Environmentally End-of-Life Management Mathematics of Information Technology and Complex Systems (MITACS)
    2019 - 2021
  • School of Engineering Research Funds University of British Columbia (UBC) Okanagan
    2018 - 2019
  • Bioactive Filtrate Recovery from Autothermal Thermophilic Aerobic Digestion (ATAD) to Produce Microbial Derived Plant Stimulants Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada
    2018 - 2019
  • Co-digestion of Fat, Oil and Grease (FOG) with Municipal Wastewater Sludge for Enhanced Biogas Production in Okanagan Valley Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada
    2018 - 2018
  • School of Engineering 2017-2018 Research Support University of British Columbia (UBC) Okanagan
    2017 - 2018
  • Fund to Acquire an Ultra-low Temperature Freezer Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada
    2017 - 2018
  • Fund to Acquire an Ultra-low Temperature Freezer Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada
    2017 - 2018
  • Phase B - Evaluation of a Combined Anaerobic/Aerobic/Anoxic Sludge Digestion System for Annacis Island Wastewater Treatment Plant Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada
    2016 - 2018
  • Phase B - Evaluation of a Combined Anaerobic/Aerobic/Anoxic Sludge Digestion System for Annacis Island Wastewater Treatment Plant Metro Vancouver
    2016 - 2018
  • Fate and Removal of Persistent Pharmaceuticals during Advanced Sludge Digestion Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada
    2015 - 2021
  • Characterization of the Particulate Phosphorus Component of the Kelowna WWTP Effluent to Optimize Chemical Dosage for Treatment Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada
    2015 - 2015
  • Milli-Gas Counters University of British Columbia (UBC) Okanagan
    2015 - 2016
  • A Liquid Chromatograph/Triple Quadrupole Mass Spectrometer for Micropollutant Detection in Wastewater Biosolids Canada Foundation for Innovation (CFI)
    2014 - 2021
  • Funds to purchase BioFlo Fermenter Utility Station University of British Columbia
    2014 - 2015
  • Assessment of Odor and Land Application Impacts of Disposal of Westside Municipal Biosolids Regional District of Central Okanagan (RDCO)
    2014 - 2018
  • Assessment of Odor and Land Application Impacts of Disposal of Westside Municipal Biosolids Regional District of Central Okanagan (RDCO)
    2014 - 2018
  • Assessment of Odor and Land Application Impacts of Disposal of Westside Biosolids Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada
    2014 - 2018
  • A Liquid Chromatograph/Triple Quadrupole Mass Spectrometer for Micropollutant Detection in Wastewater Biosolids Canada Foundation for Innovation
    2014 - 2021
  • A Hybrid (Cryptic Growth & Feasting/Fasting) Approach for Biosolids Reduction, Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada
    2013 - 2015
  • Anaerobic Digestion Facility for Developing Innovative Biowaste to Renewable Energy Technologies Canada Foundation for Innovation
    2013 - 2020

Publications

Publications are unavailable.