Maya Mahgoub Desai holds the positions of Chair of Environmental Design at OCAD University and Senior Urban Designer and Planner at Moriyama Teshima Architects. Her research primarily centers on the intersection of public health and the built environment, with a recent focus on studying how social and cultural practices impact ecosystem health (primarily in South Asia and the Middle East). She is also actively engaged in developing inclusive pedagogical approaches for studio-based design education. Her current research is supported by grants from the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada (SSHRC / CRSH), the Government of Canada's Sustainable Development Goals Program, and the Centre for Aging & Brain Health Innovation's Spark program (CABHI).

In professional practice, Maya has led numerous urban and peri-urban plans, emphasizing community health, sustainable development, and collaborative engagement. Notably, she has served as a subject matter expert for Waterfront Toronto, and contributed to projects like master plans for Qatar's Education City, Surrey City Development Corporation, and the Town of Whitby, as well as campus plans for the University of Lethbridge, Wilfrid Laurier University, and Conestoga College. Additionally, she actively participates in professional volunteer committees like BEAT (Building Equality Architecture Toronto) and the Royal Architecture Institute of Canada’s Promoting Equity and Justice Committee (RAIC-PEJ), and demonstrates her passion for health equity and disability rights by serving as a patient advocate and research partner with the multidisciplinary Schroeder Arthritis Institute at University Health Network (UHN).