She obtained her B.Eng. (1983) and M.Eng. (1985) degrees in Chemical Engineering from McGill University, Montreal, specializing in biomedical engineering. From 1985-1988, she worked for J.E. Seagrams and Sons on optimizing fermentation conditions in their pilot plant. She then went to Stanford University to pursue a doctorate in Environmental Engineering and Science where she obtained her PhD in 1993. From 1992 to 1995, she worked at Beak Consultants limited in Guelph, Ontario as an environmental consultant. In 1995 she began as an assistant professor in the Department of Chemical Engineering at McMaster University in Hamilton, and then moved to the University of Toronto in 1997.