Professor Dr. Laura Pacheco

Biography

Laura Pacheco is an Assistant Professor in the School of Social Work at Memorial University of Newfoundland. She holds a Bachelor of Social Work (BSW) and a Master of Social Work (MSW) from McGill University and a PhD in Rehabilitation Medicine from the University of Alberta. Her research focuses on structural and intersectionality approaches in social work, particularly in community engagement and narrative inquiry. Pacheco's doctoral research explored oppression and resistance strategies among mothers with intellectual disabilities from diverse ethnocultural communities in Canada. Additionally, her post-doctoral work was part of a project to support the needs of parents with intellectual disabilities. She is passionate about reproductive justice, the intersection of parenting and intellectual disabilities with the child welfare system, and the critical examination of professionals' roles in health and social services. Pacheco has taught at McGill University and Brock University and has over fourteen years of experience as a clinician-researcher and advocate for families with intellectual disabilities. She is an executive committee member of the International Association for the Scientific Study of Intellectual Disability (IASSIDD) and has delivered numerous presentations and training workshops internationally.

Research Interests

Experience