On the occasion of the International Day of Women and Girls in Science on 11 February 2026, we would like to take the opportunity to highlight the talented women contributing to our CANMILK project. These different scientists bring a wide range of expertise and experience, playing important roles in advancing our research and achieving our project goals.
In this special blog post, we describe their work within the project and share what inspires them in their scientific careers. By highlighting their contributions, we aim to recognize and celebrate the valuable role that women play in science, both within our project and in the broader scientific community.
Johanna Kihlman
Position: Research Team Leader, Project Coordinator
Background: I have a Master of Science in Industrial Chemistry and Catalysis and have worked for over 15 years applying catalysis to various CCU, gas cleaning and sustainable energy concepts. I lead the Catalytic Processes team at VTT, a group of fifteen amazingly talented and wonderful individuals!
Role in CANMILK: My role in CANMILK is that of project coordinator. My role involves facilitating discussion between partners and the entire consortium regarding our technology, with the aim of finding the best solution. I am also the point of contact between the EU and the project team, and I often work on administrative issues.
Inspiration: I like jigsaw puzzles, and catalysis is similar in many ways. You try to fit the pieces together in the right way to see the big picture. Sometimes it works and sometimes it doesn’t, and then you need to figure out why.
Annemie Bogaerts
Position: Full professor at UAntwerp and head of PLASMANT.
Background: I have a Master’s degree and a PhD in Chemistry and became a Professor of Physical Chemistry in 2004. At PLASMANT, we study plasma for various sustainable chemistry applications, such as the electrification of chemical reactions, and for cancer treatment, through a combination of experimentation and modelling.
Role in CANMILK: We are responsible for WP2, specifically modelling the interaction of reactive plasma species with CH₄ to gain insight into reducing CH₄ concentrations. To this end, we have developed chemical kinetics and computational fluid dynamics models.
Inspiration: I wanted to gain a better understanding of the underlying mechanisms of various phenomena and contribute to a better world as a scientist. This is precisely what we aim to achieve through our research into sustainable chemistry (reducing greenhouse gas emissions) and cancer treatment.
Virpi Kling
Position: Development Manager for Climate and Sustainable Business Development at Valio.
Background: I have an MSc in Chemical Engineering and have worked in the food industry for 25 years. I have experience in both R&D and business development.
Role in CANMILK: Our role is to bring the perspectives of dairy farms and the food industry to the project, clarifying what is realistically feasible in terms of both operations and costs.
Inspiration: Science inspires me because it helps to solve complex problems, is grounded in facts and requires a systematic approach.
Susmita Koley
Position: Post doctoral researcher at Durham University.
Background: I completed my PhD in cryogenic engineering after obtaining a Master’s degree in physics. I am interested in various types of sorption-based applications for sustainable energy utilisation. Before starting to work on sorption-based energy storage systems at Durham University in 2021, I worked on a project as a PDRA at TU/e in the Netherlands on sorption-based rotary drum dryers.
Role in CANMILK: I worked on WP5 of the CANMILK project, modelling different configurations of methane abatement technologies and studying the economic feasibility of these technologies using a suitable techno-economic model. The ultimate goal of our work is to provide an optimised, cost-effective solution for enhanced CH₄ mitigation.
Inspiration: I have always wanted to work in sustainable energy research, as I hope to contribute to an environmentally responsible and economically resilient future.
Carminha Bacariza
Position: Assistant Professor at the Instituto Superior Técnico.
Background: I am a Chemical Engineer (having graduated from the University of Santiago de Compostela) and hold a PhD from the University of Lisbon. I have over 13 years’ experience working in heterogeneous catalysis with a focus on mitigating greenhouse gases. I am a researcher at the Centre for Structural Chemistry (CQE) and, since 2025, an Assistant Professor in the Department of Chemical Engineering at the Instituto Superior Técnico (IST).
Role in CANMILK: As a WP7 researcher, I am responsible for experimentally validating the IST surface-kinetics model being developed by IPFN. At CQE, we are developing zeolite-based catalysts for methane oxidation. Our focus is on identifying the most effective structural and compositional features, as well as the most suitable active metals and promoters.
Inspiration: A scientific career was not part of my plan until I arrived at IST in 2012 as an Erasmus student to complete my MSc thesis on CO2 conversion to synthetic natural gas. This experience was a turning point, showing me that my background could be used to develop more sustainable fuels and chemicals. It also set me on a path where I could address challenging issues and contribute to a fairer and more just society.
Farzaneh Ostovarpour
Position: PhD student at Lisbon University.
Background: I have a BSc in Solid State Physics and an MSc in Atomic and Molecular-Plasma Physics. Since graduating, I have worked on various topics and gained almost three years of experience. One of these was plasma pyrolysis. It was then that I realised I was interested in plasma chemistry. I am now glad to be here at IST.
Role in CANMILK: As a PhD student, I simulate surface kinetics in methane oxidation via plasma catalysis, a topic that I find fascinating.
Inspiration: I come from a province where nature is everywhere: green landscapes, mountains and the Caspian Sea. I care deeply about nature and try to protect it as much as I can. That’s why working on this project feels so meaningful. I also want to expand my knowledge and experience.