Maya Desai

Maya Mahgoub Desai is the Chair of Environmental Design at OCAD University and a Visiting Professor at the University of Toronto. Her research explores the intersection of public health and the built environment, focusing on how social and cultural practices influence ecosystem health. Her work is supported by the Social Science and Humanities Research Council of Canada (SSHRC), Canada's Sustainable Development Goals Funding Program, and the Centre for Aging & Brain Health Innovation Spark Program.

In addition to her academic roles, Maya is the Senior Urban Designer & Planner at Moriyama Teshima Architects, where she leads urban and peri-urban campus, community, and municipal plans in Canada and the Middle East. Her portfolio includes serving as a subject matter expert for Waterfront Toronto and developing master plans for Qatar's Education City, Surrey City Development Corporation, the Town of Whitby, and educational institutions such as the University of Lethbridge, Wilfrid Laurier University, and Conestoga College.

Maya is also active in professional and advocacy groups, serving as an elected member of the Royal Architectural Institute of Canada's Promoting Equity and Justice Committee, a patient advocate and research partner with the University Health Network (UHN), and an executive member of Building Equality in Architecture Toronto (BEAT), which received the 2024 Royal Architectural Institute of Canada’s Advocate for Architecture Award.

AREAS OF EXPERTISE:
Architecture, Urban Planning and Design, Public Health, Health Equity, Urban Ecology, Socio-Cultural Urbanism, and Emerging Technologies in Urban Design and Planning.