Barbara Sherwood Lollar

Barbara Sherwood Lollar is a University Professor in the Department of Earth Sciences at the University of Toronto, with cross-appointments in Chemical Engineering and Applied Chemistry and Chemistry. Her research focuses on stable isotope geochemistry, subsurface microbiology, and planetary habitability. She has been recognized with prestigious awards such as the 2024 Nemmers Prize in Earth Sciences and the 2020 Killam Prize. Her work includes groundbreaking studies on ancient groundwater, the Earth’s carbon and water cycles, and subsurface life. She leads the CIFAR Earth 4D program on subsurface science and exploration. Adjunct appointments include the Institut de Physique du Globe de Paris and collaborations with international institutions. Her research emphasizes the intersection of geochemistry and astrobiology, with implications for understanding life’s potential on other planets.

Her research interests span the origins of subsurface energy resources (hydrogen, methane), isotopic tracers for fluid residence times, and microbial ecosystems in extreme environments. Key contributions include identifying billion-year-old fluids and their microbial communities, advancing methods to trace groundwater age via noble gases, and linking subsurface processes to planetary habitability. She has authored over 10 major papers on topics like radiolytic hydrogen production and ancient fluid chemistry.

Awardees include the NSERC Gerhard Herzberg Gold Medal (2019), Royal Society Fellowship (2019), and Companion of the Order of Canada (2016). Her grants and collaborations focus on subsurface energy, environmental remediation, and planetary exploration. She directs the Stable Isotope Laboratory at the University of Toronto and is a leader in global geoscience initiatives.