Rate My Professor Ewan McAdam

Professor Ewan McAdam is Professor of Membrane Science and Technology at Cranfield Water Science Institute, Cranfield University, within the Engineering discipline. He obtained his PhD in membrane technology from Cranfield University in 2008. Prior to his academic career, McAdam worked as an analytical chemist for an executive agency of DEFRA, at a global pharmaceutical manufacturer, and in a consultancy role for clients in the fine chemical, pharmaceutical, and manufacturing sectors.

Since joining Cranfield University in 2008, Professor McAdam's research focuses on developing hybrid membrane technologies for the water sector, enabling selective separations, chemical and biochemical transformations, gas-liquid transfer, and phase changes to realize opportunities in process intensification, energy production, and resource recovery. He has authored over 140 peer-reviewed journal and conference papers and contributed to five key published texts on membrane technology. Select recent publications include: Mupinga RT et al., 'Characterising faecal particle settling hydrodynamics to reenvision solid-liquid separation in decentralised sanitation systems' (Water Research, 2026); Jikazana A et al., 'The role of mixing on the kinetics of nucleation and crystal growth in membrane distillation crystallisation' (Separation and Purification Technology, 2025); Powders MT et al., 'The use of ammonia recovered from wastewater as a zero-carbon energy vector to decarbonise heat, power and transport – a review' (Water Research, 2025). McAdam received the 2018 International Water Association Innovation Award for the 'Nanomembrane Toilet', the 2017 Royal Society of Chemistry Emerging Technologies prize for membrane assisted crystallisation research, and a five-year European Research Council Fellowship on membrane assisted crystallisation. He is principal investigator on six patented membrane technologies and Editor-in-Chief of the Water and Environment Journal. His work has secured over £10 million in research income from research councils, industrial clients including Anglian Water, Thames Water, and Yorkshire Water, and the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, for which he served as scientific lead on the 'Nanomembrane Toilet' project.