Orbituary by Rainer Abart, Anjushree Dey (elder sister of Anindita Dey) and Prof. Pulak Sengupta (PhD supervisor), January 2026
It is with deep regret that we announce that Anindita Dey, postdoctoral researcher at the Department of Lithospheric Research of the University of Vienna, passed away on 23rd of December 2025 in Malaga, Spain. The department, the Faculty and the national and international community have lost a beloved and highly esteemed colleague, who will be sorely missed.
Anindita Dey was born in North Kolkata on 18th April 1988 as the youngest one in a loving family of grandfather, grandmother, father, mother, and elder sister. At her tender age of four, her father suddenly passed away, and everything changed. She shifted to her maternal house, which has been her home till now. Here, her maternal grandfather, a medical doctor, looked after her, embodying all his principles and ethics within her.
She was a bright student in her school (RKSM Sister Nivedita Girls' School), scoring high marks in her 10th grade. She excelled in painting, art, and crafts. Reading books was her passion, and she spent most of her time reading beyond her studies. Suddenly, at the age of 19, she was diagnosed with Lymphoma and got completely cured after several treatments. She continued to excel in her studies, particularly in the school-leaving exams, and chose a career in Geological Science.
Career in Geological Science
She did her Bachelor of Science and Master of Science degrees in Applied Geology from the Department of Geological Sciences, Jadavpur University, Kolkata. She then continued her academic career with a doctoral thesis on “Petrology and geochronology of enclave rocks within felsic ortho-gneisses from parts of the Chotanagpur Granite Gneissic Complex, Jharkhand, India” and in 2018 received her PhD(Sc) degree from Jadavpur University. Since then, she has held several postdoctoral positions, including a RUSA Postdoctoral Fellowship at Jadavpur University and a Dr. D. S. Kothari Postdoctoral Fellowship at the University of Kolkata.
Postdoctoral fellow at the University of Vienna
In 2020, she began her academic career as an Assistant Professor at the University of Delhi, India, assuming a full workload of research and university teaching. In 2024, she received an FWF ESPRIT grant and successfully arranged an extended leave from the University of Delhi to join the Department of Lithospheric Research at the University of Vienna, Austria as a postdoctoral fellow. In her ESPRIT project, Anindita Dey focused on analyzing multiple simultaneous mineral reactions that occurred in metaigneous rocks under high-grade metamorphic conditions.
More broadly, throughout her much too short academic career, Anindita Dey made significant contributions to the understanding of the role of fluids and the evolution of reaction microstructures during high-grade metamorphism. She applied her petrological insights to unravel the petro-tectonic evolution of orogenic belts and their role in supercontinental cycles, with applications to the Proterozoic polymetamorphic terranes of India.
Eager to explore new pathways
Anindita Dey was curious about science and a esteemed partner in scientific discussions. In her research, she happily took on challenges and was eager to explore new pathways and unexplored scientific territory. She was fully integrated into an international team of researchers with diverse educational and cultural backgrounds, sharing both her scientific insights and cultural background in a charming way. With her winning, friendly, and modest nature, she was an essential integrating personality promoting scientific exchange and social cohesion within the team and beyond. She will be greatly missed.
With the passing of Anindita Dey, the Department of Lithospheric Research, the Faculty of Earth Sciences, Geography and Astronomy, and the University of Vienna have lost a beloved and highly esteemed colleague. Our thoughts are with her family and with those who were close to her.
