معرفی
Maija Heikkilä serves as a University Researcher at the University of Helsinki, affiliated with the Ecosystems and Environment Research Programme, the Department of Geosciences and Geography, and the Helsinki Institute of Sustainability Science (HELSUS). She holds the title of Docent and supervises the Doctoral Programme in Interdisciplinary Environmental Sciences within the Environmental Change Research Unit (ECRU).
Her academic credentials include a PhD in Geology from the University of Helsinki (2010) and 35 ECTS in University Pedagogy. Her research trajectory spans postdoctoral roles at the Geological Survey of Denmark and Greenland (2016), University of Helsinki (2012-2015), and University of Manitoba (2010-2012), alongside Visiting Scholar positions at University of Waterloo (2007-2009).
Dr. Heikkilä's work centers on Quaternary-scale Earth system dynamics, with emphasis on northern climate-nature interplay through land-water-atmosphere interactions, sea ice dynamics, hydroclimate shifts, and deep-time carbon cycling. She integrates empirical data from lake/marine sediments with ecosystem surveys and numerical modeling to address Arctic environmental change. Her methodology bridges paleoecology and contemporary monitoring through sediment traps and field campaigns.
Recent publications (2024-2025) reveal intensifying focus on Fennoscandian and Greenlandic aquatic systems, examining thermal structures, carbon fluxes, and biodiversity responses to rapid climate shifts. These studies employ multi-proxy sediment analysis and satellite-era monitoring to establish paleoenvironmental baselines for modern change.
Scientific recognition includes:
- Academy of Finland Research Fellowship (2017-2022)
She leads major funded projects including Browning lakes in the greening Arctic (Academy of Finland, 2023-2027) and Arctic lake biodiversity over the Holocene (Suomen Kulttuurirahasto, 2023-2025), while actively supervising doctoral candidates and pre-examining theses. Her collaborative network spans 14 research projects and 53 activities including AGU conferences and ArcticNet meetings.
As ECRU core member, she coordinates international teams across Greenland, Canada, and Europe, with recent media engagements on glacial climate impacts and lake sediment archives.
