Maya Hey

Maya Hey is a Postdoctoral Researcher (Research Fellow) at the University of Helsinki's Faculty of Social Sciences, specializing in Sociology. Her work centers on human-microbe relationships through fermentation practices, participatory food research, and open education initiatives, with active involvement in the Centre for the Social Study of Microbes project (2022-2026).

Hey's research interests focus on the cultural, ethical, and scientific dimensions of microbial interactions in food systems. She examines how fermentation shapes narratives of disgust/deliciousness, responsibility in synthetic biology, and cross-cultural food identities. Her methodologies emphasize polyphonic engagement, co-sensing workshops, and slime-mouldian collaborative approaches to challenge human-centric perspectives in microbiology.

Analysis of her 2022-2025 publications reveals consistent exploration of microbial communication across diverse contexts—from sake production to koji in global markets—bridging sociology, food studies, and science and technology studies. Key trends include ethical frameworks for human-microbe relations, participatory urban food environments, and emerging intersections between microbial processes and artificial intelligence.

Hey leads the Centre for the Social Study of Microbes (2022-2026), funded by an external source, which develops innovative research methods for microbial engagement. Her academic visits to Humboldt University, LMU Munich, and University of Augsburg in early 2024 demonstrate international collaboration in advancing this interdisciplinary field.

The Centre for the Social Study of Microbes operates as her primary research hub, employing non-hierarchical 'slime-mouldian' methodologies to foster collective knowledge production about microbial life through workshops, sensory engagements, and experimental practices.