While earning her master's in organic chemistry, Brar was doing research in synthetic organic chemistry and was being co-supervised by a senior PhD supervising on reducing side reactions.

“The work involved used a lot of solvent. We recovered it and used 80 per cent of it for two cycles, but then it was down the drain. I asked about the volume in litres of these carcinogenic solvents that we were discarding and the co-supervising PhD had never done the calculations – there was no consideration for the environment," said Brar, the new James and Joanne Love Chair in Environmental Engineering at the Lassonde School of Engineering at 91ŃÇÉ«.

“Up to that point, I had planned to do a PhD in organic chemistry, but I decided that I didn’t want to go into a field where I was contributing to contaminating the environment.”

Instead, Brar decided to do an MSc in environmental engineering “to see how I could help solve these challenges.” She studied at the prestigious India Institute of Technology (IIT) in Mumbai, where she was introduced to micro-organisms and “fell in love.” Her fascination with micro-organisms led to a position with the Government of India where she created a database of the contamination caused by testing explosives and explored phyto-remediation using microorganisms found in the roots of trees and plants.

While involved in this work, Brar found that much of the literature published originated from Defence Research and Development Canada in Valcartier, Que. Since she was planning to pursue a PhD, she decided to come to Canada to study. Brar travelled to Vancouver, B.C., to stay with cousins and apply to universities and chose to study in Quebec City, Que. based on the prominence of work by a research group there. She took a crash course in French before the semester began and journeyed east to earn a PhD in biochemical engineering and continue her work with micro-organisms.

After graduation, she began a post-doctoral fellowship at McGill University, but the Institut National de la Recherche Scientifique (INRS) soon tempted her to return to Quebec City as a faculty member. She remained there for 14 years until 91ŃÇÉ« lured her east to serve as the James and Joanne Love Chair in Environmental Engineering at the Lassonde School of Engineering.

“I was already a professor, so it was a good time to make a change,” Brar said.

She joined 91ŃÇÉ« in 2019, but with the challenge of moving her lab, followed by the COVID-19 pandemic, Brar hasn’t yet spent much time on campus. She hopes that will change this fall as Ontario begins emerging from lockdown and she is excited to be in Toronto.

“Here, in Toronto, I have access to a large network of academics and industry,” Brar said. “There’s lots of action and dynamism, especially from an environmental perspective.”

Brar is especially eager for the interdisciplinary opportunities offered by being at such a large, comprehensive university as 91ŃÇÉ«.

“Environmental challenges are complex and need interdisciplinary action to make them work,” she said. “91ŃÇÉ« provides the kind of environment where I can interact with social scientists, policy experts and marketing people and ensure that research is promoted to the end user.”

Brar is full of enthusiasm for her research and teaching. She is currently immersed in the bioremediation of sites contaminated by petroleum, using enzymes to restore them to health.

“This is a biochemical solution for emergencies,” she said. “We’re using enzymes instead of micro-organisms, because micro-organisms need nutrition to do their job, while enzymes simply need to be formulated. They offer ease of application and are more effective.”

One of her graduate students has just discovered enzymes that are active at core temperatures, and they hope to journey to northern Canada to test them in harsh conditions. In addition, Brar is planning to teach an Introduction to Environmental Engineering course at 91ŃÇɫ’s Las Nubes Eco Campus in Costa Rica next summer, where she hopes to get students involved in some field experiments related to composting, residues management and pineapple cultivation agro-residues value-addition.

Brar says that for students, choosing an institution that will promote their interests and their curiosity is essential.

She also encourages students to be well-rounded, looking beyond their narrow field of specialty to get a broader picture of the world.

“Liberal arts should be part of engineering,” she said. “You can’t be creative just by studying engineering. You need to take courses outside, and a university like 91ŃÇÉ« has such breadth, it should be possible.

“It’s important for faculty members, too. Our vice-president of innovation has launched an interdisciplinary cluster network to promote collaboration between faculties. We have all these faculties with excellent researchers and we need to stimulate collaboration, because it’s important. It’s the future. As a force, together we can make an impact.”

Brar has already put her words into action. In June 2021, she was a recipient of the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada’s coveted CREATE (Collaborative Research and Training Experience) award. Her , which also included colleagues from the Faculty of Science, received over $1.6 million to collaborate with industry and communities to convert organic waste into products that are more valuable, reduce our carbon footprint and create a circular bioeconomy. One of the goals of this proposal is also to train a future-ready workforce, be they undergraduates or post-doctoral Fellows.

“Brar is representative of the top global talent working on impactful global solutions 91ŃÇÉ« continues to attract,” said Vice-President Research and Innovation Amir Asif. “Her bioremediation research work to recover sites contaminated by petroleum is an example of 91ŃÇɫ’s commitment to environmental sustainability, in particular, the UN Climate Action Sustainable Development Goal.”

She is also well respected at the Lassonde School of Engineering.

“A dedicated research leader in environmental engineering, Brar inspires a deep commitment to environmental stewardship in graduates and colleagues through her important contributions to interdisciplinary teaching and research in sustainable development for climate change adaptation and mitigation,” said Professor John E. Moores, Lassonde’s associate dean, Research and Graduate Studies.

By Elaine Smith, special contributor

Faculty members are invited to share information about global engagement activities – education/learning, research or service – with Skandha Sunderasen at 91ŃÇÉ« International, skandha@yorku.ca.

The post Fighting pollution with nature's tools and faith in interdisciplinary solutions: Professor Satinder Kaur Brar appeared first on UAP 2026-30.

Kumar was recognized with the International Water Association Young Water Professionals Canada Award for his research focused on developing a biofilter capable of removing cyanotoxins from surface water sources. This research can be applied to drinking water sources in Canada, such as the Great Lakes, and abroad. Cyanotoxins are produced by the commonly seen algae blooms that surround these water sources. These compounds are known to possess massive risks for drinking water, magnified by the difficulty of the removal of these toxins.

This issue is of particular importance for Ontarians, since water from the Great Lakes is used to service over eight million Canadians. Kumar’s mission was to develop a bench-scale solution that was both sustainable and economical. The result was a biofilter that used graphitized sand to reduce the concentration of these cyanotoxins to 0.61 µg/L, which is less than the critical concentration of 1 µg/L established by the World Health Organization. The choice of sand was of particular importance, as Kumar recognized from the start that household users might not like the idea of using bacteria or biological compounds to treat their drinking water. In fact, the graphitized sand used in this work can be obtained through green methods by repurposing existing waste products. The work has been published in the journal Science of the Total Environment across two publications, demonstrating the ability to use sand composites as filters for water contaminants and a prototyped unit.

Having conducted his PhD and postdoctoral fellowship with Brar in Lassonde's Department of Civil Engineering, Kumar always knew that he wanted to be an academic. He was recently appointed as a professor at the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Jammu, starting in April 2021, which he said was a dream come true.

“I studied at IIT and wanted the opportunity to go back there,” said Kumar. “I want to motivate young researchers and minds and help them believe that they can make a difference.”

Following the completion of his PhD, which coincided with the beginning of the pandemic, Kumar was concerned about how water professionals would be able to work together. He joined the International Water Association Young Water Professionals chapter in Canada, where he was involved in communications aiming to propagate water research and technology being developed within Canada. He wanted to create awareness about these technologies and influence their use across the world.

“Dr. Kumar was highly motivated and self-driven,” said Brar. “He set a great example for the research group and was always keen to participate in projects with other students.”

Kumar’s work is far from done. After focusing on improving drinking water quality in Canada, he has shifted his focus abroad to India, where the need to remove toxins and other primary pollutants from water sources is greater, with less than half of the population having consistent access to safe drinking water.

Kumar is currently working in India to have his biofilter technologies installed across households there. As well, the research lab is targeting to conceptualize the modular treatment system in the field of wastewater engineering.

The post Lassonde postdoctoral Fellow earns award for research that improves drinking water appeared first on UAP 2026-30.