Meet the Researchers

Dr. Laura Pacheco smiling with shoulder-length blonde hair, wearing a white blouse and a purple cardigan, sitting against an orange wall.

Lead Researcher

Dr. Laura Pacheco

Assistant Professor, School of Social Work, Memorial University

Adjunct Professor, School of Social Work, McGill University

Dr. Pacheco is co-chair of the Parents and Parenting Special Interest Research Group (SIRG) at the International Association on the Scientific Study of Intellectual and Developmental Disability (IASSIDD). She brings lived experience with disability and over 15 years of experience in research, practice, and evidence-based program development with parents with neurodiversity.

Areas of expertise:

  • Qualitative research methodologies

  • Community-based participatory research

  • Parenting by parents with intellectual disability, neurodiversity and intersection identifiés

  • Social Justice and Human Rights program development

  • Critical disability studies

Dr. Pacheco has led multiple tri-council grants and has developed long-standing partnerships with government and community organizations in Quebec, Newfoundland and Labrador, and nationally. She is passionate about mentoring students and has supervised over 50 students in academic, community, and government settings.

Contact: lpacheco@mun.ca | (514) 402-8623

Dr. Marjorie Aunos with shoulder-length wavy dark hair, wearing black glasses, a black cardigan, a red top with lace, and black pants, sitting outdoors in a garden or park with trees and a house in the background.

Co-Investigator

Dr. Marjorie Aunos

Adjunct Professor, University of Alberta & Brock University

Clinical Psychologist, Author, Disability Activist

Dr. Aunos has worked with parents with intellectual disabilities for 25 years. After sustaining a spinal cord injury in 2012 while parenting her 16-month-old son, she gained unique dual perspectives as both a clinician and a parent with a physical disability.

She is Chair of the Board of MÉMO-Québec (representing persons with spinal cord injuries) and past Chair of the Parents and Parenting with Disabilities SIRG at IASSIDD. Dr. Aunos is the author of "Mom on Wheels: The Power of Purpose as a Parent with Paraplegia" and a contributing author to "We've Got This: Essays of Disabled Parents."

Areas of expertise:

  • Parenting capacity assessment

  • Clinical practice with parents with disabilities

  • Positive psychology applications

  • Disability advocacy and activism

Her work emphasizes using concrete examples and lived experience to empower persons with disabilities and their families, challenging ableist assumptions in both academic and popular contexts.

Contact: marjorieaunos@gmail.com | (514) 318-8845

Dr. Coralie Mercerat, short dark hair, glasses, and a maroon blazer standing next to large windows in a modern office, smiling.

Co-Investigator

Dr. Coralie Mercerat

University of Montreal

Professor of Psychology and Mental Health, TELUQ University (Montreal)

Adjunct Professor in Psychology, University of Quebec in Montreal

Dr. Mercerat's research focuses on violence against women with disabilities (particularly reproductive violence) and parenting with disabilities. Over the past decade, she has explored the experiences of parents with physical disabilities and their relationships with perinatal care services.

She is conducting one of the first studies in Quebec specifically examining the experiences of fathers with disabilities. Dr. Mercerat has been involved in several tri-agency grants, including as Principal Investigator on a SSHRC Insight Development Grant.

Areas of expertise:

  • Reproductive justice and violence

  • Perinatal services and accessibility

  • Fatherhood and disability

  • Clinical psychology practice

Dr. Mercerat maintains a clinical practice working with individuals and couples, bringing both research and clinical perspectives to understanding family experiences.

Contact: coralie.mercerat@umontreal.ca

Dr. Evelina Pituch, straight brown hair, blue eyes, and a light complexion, smiling gently, wearing a black top, against a dark background.

Co-Investigator

Dr. Evelina Pituch

Postdoctoral Fellow, Department of Health and Society

University of Toronto Scarborough

Dr. Pituch is an occupational therapist who has specialized in parents and parenting with disabilities for approximately ten years. Her PhD research focused on the needs of parents with disabilities and innovative rehabilitation solutions to support families with young children.

Her program of research aims to improve perinatal supports for parents with disabilities. She holds a PhD in Rehabilitation Sciences and a bachelor's-professional master's in occupational therapy from the University of Montreal.

Areas of expertise:

  • Occupational therapy and rehabilitation

  • Babycare assistance and adaptive equipment

  • Perinatal support services

  • Parents with neurological and physical disabilities

Dr. Pituch brings critical clinical expertise in understanding the practical, everyday challenges parents with disabilities face and developing evidence-based solutions.

Contact: evelina.pituch@utoronto.ca