Maya Bhatia was a Canadian biogeochemist known for her research in the Arctic, focusing on microbial ecology and biogeochemistry. Bhatia died during field work near Grise Fiord in 2023.

Early life and education

Bhatia was an alumna of the

University of Alberta The University of Alberta (also known as U of A or UAlberta, ) is a public research university located in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. It was founded in 1908 by Alexander Cameron Rutherford, the first premier of Alberta, and Henry Marshall Tory, t ...

, where she received her bachelor's and master's degrees, contributing early to her field under the supervision of Martin Sharp and Julia Foght in the Departments of Earth and Atmospheric Sciences and Biological Sciences. She furthered her education in the

MIT The Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) is a private research university in Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States. Established in 1861, MIT has played a significant role in the development of many areas of modern technology and sc ...

- WHOI Joint Program, graduating in February 2012 with a PhD, co-advised by

Elizabeth Kujawinski Elizabeth Kujawinski is an American oceanographer who is Senior Scientist at the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, where she works as Program Director of the Center for Chemical Currencies of a Microbial Planet. Her research considers analyti ...

and

Sarah Das Sarah Das is an American glaciologist and climate scientist. She works at the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institute in Woods Hole, Massachusetts. Education Das holds a Ph.D. in Geosciences from Pennsylvania State University and a Bachelor of Art ...

in the MG&G Department.

Career and research

As an associate professor at the

and a CAIP Chair in Watershed Science, Bhatia's research spanned glaciers, ice sheets, and oceans. Her work focused on understanding the interactions between microbes and their environment, particularly in relation to carbon cycling and nutrient production, with implications for global climate change. In 2022, Dr. Maya Bhatia received the CNC/SCOR Early Career Ocean Scientist Award for her contributions to oceanography and biogeochemistry research in northern Canada, focusing on the impacts of climate change on the ocean and nutrient contributions from glaciers.

Death

Bhatia died while conducting field work in the High Arctic near Aujuittuq (Grise Fiord), Nunavut, on 16 August 2023. She was swept away after slipping and falling while collecting water from a supraglacial stream. Her student and the helicopter pilot were with her at the time but unable to reach her due to fast moving water.

References

Year of birth missing 2023 deaths University of Alberta alumni Women biochemists {{Improve categories, date=April 2024 Canadian biochemists Massachusetts Institute of Technology alumni