Margo Hilbrecht, PhD

Executive Director

As Executive Director at the Vanier Institute, Dr. Margo Hilbrecht is responsible for activating and disseminating knowledge of family diversities and wellbeing in Canada.

A family scholar, Margo completed her PhD in Recreation and Leisure Studies at the University of Waterloo, where she studied time use of families in Canada. Her research on families and the wellbeing consequences of non-standard work types and schedules contributed to her being awarded the Governor General’s Gold Medal for Academic Excellence.

During her postdoctoral work with the Centre for Families, Work and Well-being at the University of Guelph, she further expanded our understanding of families and work, illustrating how experiences of self-employment may affect the quality of family time.

As Associate Director, Research and a Research Assistant Professor at the Canadian Index of Wellbeing, University of Waterloo, Margo conducted research with academic, local government and not-for-profit partners on wellbeing in diverse communities across Canada.

Before joining the Vanier Institute, Margo was the Director, Knowledge Management, then Academic Director of GREO, a knowledge translation and exchange organization. She worked with an extensive network of national and international researchers to share evidence about preventing and reducing harm from gambling, including its impact on older adults’ quality of life and on family wellbeing.

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