Ludmilla Aristilde

Ludmilla Aristilde is an Associate Professor in the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering at Northwestern University's McCormick School of Engineering. Her research focuses on biochemical and microbial processes in soil and water systems to develop nature-based solutions for environmental challenges.

• Education: Cornell University (B.S.), University of California-Berkeley (Ph.D.)
• Research Themes: Plastic pollution bioremediation via wastewater microbes, phosphorus cycling in soils, organic matter-water interactions, and nutrient recycling mechanisms.

Recent publications highlight her lab's work on Comamonas testosteroni degrading PET plastic, iron oxide catalysis for plant-available phosphorus, and carbon-water-mineral dynamics. The group emphasizes interdisciplinary approaches combining spectroscopy, molecular modeling, and omics analyses.

Lab members have transitioned to roles in academia, national labs, and industry. Aristilde advocates for leveraging natural biochemical processes in engineering solutions and addresses diversity challenges in STEM fields.