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.
Awarded by the Council of Ontario Universities, the Polanyi Prizes honour outstanding researchers in the early stages of their careers in fields including chemistry, economic science, physics, and physiology or medicine. The award is named for Dr. John Polanyi, Nobel Laureate in Chemistry and Professor Emeritus at U of T.
As a Varsity Blue, Maikawa played women’s hockey for U of T from 2011 through 2016. During that time, she dressed for over 120 games, helping the Blues to five consecutive post-season berths and a fourth-place finish at the 2013 national championship at Varsity Arena.
Maikawa's work is focused on improving the treatment and management of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), a chronic condition that affects the gastrointestinal tract. While IBD currently has no cure, many patients can achieve remission through targeted therapeutics, lifestyle adjustments and—crucially—regular monitoring of inflammation markers.
Maikawa is helping to transform that monitoring process. Her research explores the development of dynamic polymer materials that respond to inflammation markers by dissolving—an innovation that could pave the way for simple, swallowable biosensors. These oral devices could help patients and clinicians track disease activity more easily, without the need for invasive testing.
The technology also has the potential to be adapted for use with other biomarkers and conditions related to chronic gastrointestinal health, offering promise for broader application in both clinical care and everyday health management.
KPE congratulates Prof. Maikawa on this significant honour and looks forward to seeing how her work continues to shape the future of health science in Ontario and beyond.