Gilda Carvalho

Associate Professor Gilda Carvalho is a leading researcher at the Australian Centre for Water and Environmental Biotechnology (ACWEB) and the School of Chemical Engineering at the University of Queensland. She leads the Drinking and Recycled Water research group and specializes in Environmental Bioengineering, focusing on microbial processes for water/wastewater treatment and resource recovery.

• Research areas: Chemicals of Emerging Concern (CEC), Biological Nutrient Removal (BNR), biofilm systems, membrane processes, and polyhydroxyalkanoate (PHA) production
• Key methodologies: Molecular tools linking microbial ecology to process performance
• Academic output: Over 90 peer-reviewed papers and >40 multinational research projects with industrial partners
• Educational impact: Coordinator of Postgraduate Programs in Urban Water Engineering and supervisor of >20 PhD students

Her recent research explores phage-based biofilm disruption, micropollutant removal via advanced oxidation, and resource recovery from waste streams. Current funding includes projects on biofilm solutions for drinking water and sustainable wastewater reuse. She integrates multidisciplinary approaches across biotechnology, chemical engineering, and environmental science to address global water challenges.