Maria Giammarco is a Senior Research Associate with The Conference Board of Canada’s Future Skills team where she applies her research skills and background in the behavioural sciences to address Canada’s evolving skills and education needs.

Prior to joining the Conference Board Maria worked as behavioural scientist for the Impact and Innovation Unit in the Privy Council Office and the Behavioural Insights Groups in the BC Public Service. In these roles Maria used experimental research methods and a human psychology lens to solve a range of policy and service challenges, from tax compliance to social service supports to sustainable consumption. Maria also has experience in the intersection of science and public policy through her work with the Council of Canadian Academies and as a Mitacs Science Policy Fellow, and in supporting strategic development and research needs for multi-sectoral clients as a consultant with R.A. Malatest and Associates and Dialectic Solutions.

Maria holds a PhD in cognitive neuroscience from the University of Guelph; her research focused primarily on understanding the intersection between memory, attention, information processing, and decision-making. She also holds a MSc and HBA from McMaster University where she focused on human psychology and philosophy.