Kalev Pugi Award

2025 Recipient - Dr Steven Holdcroft, Simon Fraser University

Dr Steven Holdcroft is a Professor of Chemistry and Canada Research Chair at Simon Fraser, former Departmental Chair and former President of the Canadian Society for Chemistry. He researches, discovers, and invents advanced materials for electrochemical energy conversion & storage. He is author of 300+ peer-reviewed articles and inventor of more than 15 patent families. Read Steven's biog in full.

2025 Recipient - Dr Benjamin Britton

Dr Benjamin Britton is CTO and, with Professor Steven Holdcroft, a founder of Ionomr Innovations Inc., with a role spanning business & technology. He has a broad background in electrochemistry with contributions to over a dozen patent families and numerous publications, with additional experience in the humanities and business.

Acknowledged as Global Cleantech 100 company for the fourth consecutive time in 2025, Ionomr is producing the first high-performance, highly durable non-fluorinated ion-exchange materials as the basis for the next generation of electrochemical technologies.

Lecture Details

The Kalev Pugi Award is normally presented at the annual SCI Canada Awards Dinner, typically held in early April, where the winner will be expected to attend and deliver a short acceptance speech. The winner may be invited to present a lecture at this event and will also receive a plaque.

2024 Recipient - Prof Hanadi Sleiman, McGill University

Prof Sleiman’s research has revolutionized the development of DNA biotechnology by simplifying engineering functional DNA-based nanostructures, which are opening new opportunities for next-generation precision medicine. Such DNA nanostructures with unparalleled structural control from a minimum number of components, are promising candidates for drug delivery that can accelerate bench-to-bedside translation.

Dr. Sleiman’s visionary approach has defined a new research area in biotechnology, in which synthetic molecules are combined with DNA base-pairing. The game changing concept of integrating supramolecular chemistry with DNA science represents a fundamental shift in the field.

2023 Recipient - Professor Francesca Kerton

Professor Francesca Kerton, of Memorial University, was awarded the Kalev Pugi Award in 2023, which recognises exceptional achievements in research and development. Francesca Kerton is a professor of Chemistry at Memorial University of Newfoundland and has a global reputation for her innovative research on sustainable chemistry related to the oceans. She received the Canadian Green Chemistry and Engineering Award in 2019. Her current research group is focused on developing environmentally friendly ways to process bio-sourced molecules and materials, catalysis and sustainable polymers.

2022 Recipient - Professor Karim Zaghib

Professor Karim Zaghib, of Investissement Québec, was awarded the Kalev Pugi Award in 2022, which recognises exceptional achievements in research and development. Karim specialises in rechargeable batteries, energy transition and the electrification of transportation. As director of research into the development of materials for lithium-ion batteries at Hydro-Québec, he helped make it the world’s first company to use lithium iron phosphate in cathodes and to develop natural graphite and nanotitanate anodes.