Ichiko Sugiyama

My name is Ichiko Sugiyama, and I am a Postdoctoral Fellow at Carleton University (working with Professor Hanika Rizo) and a Guest Investigator at the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution. My research explores how solution chemistry and particulate phases—including minerals, particulate organic carbon, and microbes—govern the cycling of metals and nutrients across modern and ancient environments. I also examine how diagenetic processes modify chemical and isotopic signals preserved in sediments and rocks, linking modern biogeochemical processes to the geologic record. My work spans paleobiogeochemistry and oceanography, with applications to ore and petroleum geochemistry, environmental remediation, and the evaluation of geoengineering strategies for mitigating anthropogenic climate change.

At Carleton University, my research is supported by the New Frontiers in Research Fund (NFRF) and examines tungsten (W) biogeochemical cycling and its isotopic signatures across Earth’s modern and ancient environments. Working within an interdisciplinary team, I investigate both biological and abiotic controls on W cycling using experimental and field-based approaches, to reconstruct its role in ancient oceans, and apply these insights to the development of biosignatures for future extraterrestrial sample-return missions. Importantly, tungsten is widely designated as a critical mineral resource. I am currently in the process of applying my research to find alternative critical mineral mining approaches through the lens of circular mining using bio-leaching and synthetic biological approaches.

Beyond research, I currently serve as Chair of Communications for the European Association of Geochemistry (EAG), where I contribute to strengthening the biogeochemical community and advancing the communication of geochemical research to broader audiences.

More information about my work can be found at www.isugiyama.com.