Caitlin Maikawa recognized with 2024 John Charles Polanyi Prize in chemistry

Caitlin Maikawa, an assistant professor in the Institute of Biomedical Engineering at the Faculty of Applied Science & Engineering, has been recognized with a 2024 Polanyi Prize in chemistry. 

Polanyi Prizes recognize early-career researchers who are carrying out groundbreaking work in chemistry, economic science, physics, and physiology and medicine. They are awarded by the Council of Ontario Universities in honour of John Polanyi, a U of T University Professor Emeritus of chemistry who won the 1986 Nobel Prize in Chemistry.

Maikawa is recognized for research that is making the treatment of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) effective and easier.

Although IBD is not curable, remission can be achieved with therapeutics and lifestyle changes, with frequent monitoring of markers of inflammation levels crucial to help physicians and patients adjust treatment to evade relapse. 

Maikawa is working to improve monitoring through the creation of dynamic polymer materials that dissolve in response to markers of inflammation, and can be used in simple oral biosensor devices. The technology could also be adapted to detect other biomarkers in the gastrointestinal tract, with potential applications for people with chronic gastrointestinal diseases.

Read more about the Polanyi Prizes