Maria is an Associate Professor with the Department of Public Health Sciences at Queen’s University, and former Canada Research Chair in Life Course, Social Environments and Health. Her research program, DMETRE (Developmental, Maternal, and perinatal Epidemiology and Translational Research Evidence) uses a life course approach and epidemiological methods to assess how social inequalities in critical periods of human development such as pregnancy and the first 1,000 days of life influence future health. Fun fact about Maria: she has a one-year-old dog named Frodo Baggins who keeps her busy away from work!