Elena Torfs received her Master degree Bioscience Engineering: Environmental Technology at Ghent university in 2009 after which she joined the research unit BIOMATH at Ghent university as a teaching assistant. During her time at BIOMATH she combined teaching responsibilities for several courses related to modelling and control of biosystems with her PhD research on improved models for secondary settling tanks in wastewater treatment plants.

Elena worked on the pilEAUte project which aims to optimize the operation and control of wastewater treatment plants by detailed monitoring and modelling of a full-functioning pilot treatment plant.  The primary objective is to find favorable operational and control schemes to limit both the operational costs and the environmental impact of wastewater treatment plants.

She is currently the operations coordinator of CentrEau, a Water Research Centre, during the paternity leave of Maxine Dandois-Fafard. She coordinates the activities of the research center and offers support to its members.