Dong Sijia, a promising young Chinese researcher, has died at the age of 33.
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The oceanographer was an assistant professor at Nanjing University’s school of sustainable energy and resources but despite her internationally recognised contributions to marine chemistry, no official notice has been issued by the university.
Instead, the news emerged from a note in a scientific journal that did not give a cause of death, leaving colleagues, students and friends trying to piece together more information.
She was listed as the first author of a paper published in Science Advances on June 18, where the acknowledgements read: “We lost our friend and colleague, S.D., as this manuscript was going to be published. We dedicate this paper to her and may her spirit inspire others as it has us.”
Nanjing University has been asked for comment.
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Dong returned to her homeland two years ago after several years in the United States, where she had already made a significant impact on her field.