Ilje Pikaar

Associate Professor Ilje Pikaar is affiliated with the School of Civil Engineering at The University of Queensland. He holds a PhD in Environmental Engineering (2012) from UQ, preceded by BSc (2004) and MSc (2006) in Environmental Science and Technology from Wageningen University, Netherlands.

• Research Interests: Environmental electrochemistry, global nitrogen cycle, sewer corrosion mitigation, next-generation sludge management, metal recovery, integrated urban water management, resource recovery with emphasis on nitrogen recovery and microbial protein production.
• Scientific Contributions: Over 40 peer-reviewed publications (avg. impact factor 8.51), including first-author papers in Science (2014), Nature Food (2020), and Lancet Planetary Health (2021). His 2017 work on nitrogen-efficient food systems was recognized with the best feature article award in Environmental Science and Technology.
• Leadership Roles: Co-chair (2019–present) and former secretary (2015–2019) of the International Water Association's Resource Recovery from Water cluster. Associate Editor for Waste Management (2018–present) and guest editor for Water Research (2020).
• Funding: Secured 7 Australian Research Council (ARC) projects as Chief Investigator. Played a pivotal role in the $50M CRC Blue Economy project (2016–2023).
• Editorial Work: Developed a graduate-level textbook with IWA Publishing (2021) and serves on advisory boards for Environmental Science and Technology (2020–present).