Diego Hernandez-Ospina is a Chemical Engineer dedicated to advancing sustainable water treatment technologies that protect public health and environmental integrity. He earned his B.Sc. in Chemical Engineering from the National University of Colombia, where he contributed to projects focused on the valorization of agro-industrial residues. He later completed his master’s at York University, Toronto, where his award-winning thesis explored nature-inspired strategies for the bioremediation of contaminants of emerging concern (CECs). His research emphasized microbial coculture design, the role of metabolic inducers, and the development of novel biomaterials to enhance microbial tolerance in the degradation of toxic aromatic hydrocarbons in Canadian aquifers.

As Doctoral Candidate 7 in the MSCA-NANAQUA project at KU Leuven, his current research focuses on the encapsulation of micronutrients in porous nanostructures to improve the anaerobic biodegradation of pharmaceutically active compounds such as Carbamazepine—an environmentally persistent pollutant prioritized in the revised Urban Wastewater Treatment Directive.

Diego brings interdisciplinary experience from research collaborations across Canada, Colombia, and Spain, bridging microbial ecology and nanomaterial engineering. Today, he is focused on designing next-generation biostimulation strategies integrated with engineered porous nanoparticles for future-ready water reuse systems. He aspires to become an international leader in water treatment, delivering solutions that address urgent global challenges.