Dr. Monique Gignac
Dr. Monique Gignac is scientific director and senior scientist at the Institute for Work & Health. She is also a professor in the Dalla Lana School of Public Health at the University of Toronto.
Gignac’s research expertise is in the areas of health and social psychology, including health models of disability. Her research examines psychosocial factors like stress, coping, adaptation and communication, and their importance in understanding the impact of chronic diseases on the lives of adults across the life course. Of particular interest is research on workplace communication, privacy, support and accommodation needs among individuals living with chronic, episodic conditions.
Gignac's research program is strongly collaborative. She works with clinicians, epidemiologists, health economists, sociologists and health psychologists. Study designs in her research program span community health surveys, qualitative research, measurement design and evaluation, and analyses of population health datasets.
Gignac has received recognition for her research with a Queen Elizabeth II Diamond Jubilee Award (2013); an award for outstanding leadership and research from the Canadian Networks of Centres of Excellence (2011); Distinguished Scholar (2013), Lecturer (2014) and service awards (2019, 2021) from the international Association of Rheumatology Professionals (ARP); and recognition for mentorship (2015) from the Health Care, Technology and Place (HCTP) Strategic Research Training Program funded by the Canadian Institutes of Health Care (CIHR).
“Many chronic physical and mental health conditions create ongoing challenges for those living with them. That's because their symptoms are often invisible. They're also intermittent in impact and therefore highly unpredictable. That creates a lot of stress and hard-to-answer questions. Should a person disclose their health condition at work? How does a person get support from others during times of difficulty without affecting their career? My goal is to apply research to improve the health and work outcomes of individuals living with these conditions.” – Dr. Monique Gignac
Projects
- Future-proofing young Canadians with disabilities for the changing labour market. Funded by New Frontiers in Research Fund (a Tri-Agency Program—CIHR, NSERC, SSHRC). Ongoing.
- Implementation of PTSI programs in Alberta first responder organizations. Funded by Government of Alberta. Ongoing.
- Intelligent machines and human worker inequities: examining the implications of AI in the workplace. Funded by Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council (SSHRC); Future Skills Centre. Ongoing.
- Job quality and wellbeing in Canada: generating insights on the new world of work. Funded by Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council (SSHRC). Ongoing.
- Preventing work disability among millennial young adults with rheumatic disease. Funded by Arthritis Society Operating Grant. Ongoing.
Publications
- Al Dhanhani AM, Gignac MA, Beaton DE, Su J, Fortin PR. Work factors are associated with workplace activity limitations in systemic lupus erythematosus. Rheumatology. 2014;53(11):2044-2052. doi:10.1093/rheumatology/keu242.
- Wong IS, Smith PM, Mustard C, Gignac MA. Work-injury absence and compensation among partnered and lone mothers and fathers. American Journal of Industrial Medicine. 2014;57(8):960-969. doi:10.1002/ajim.22351.
- Tang K, Boonen A, Verstappen SM, Escorpizo R, Luime J, Lacaille D, Fautrel B, Bosworth A, Cifaldi M, Gignac MA, Hofstetter C, Leong A, Montie P, Peterson IF, Purcaru O, Bombardier C, Tugwell P, Beaton DE. Worker productivity outcome measures: OMERACT filter evidence and agenda for future research. Journal of Rheumatology. 2014;41(1):165-176. doi:10.3899/jrheum.130815.
- Gignac MA, Lacaille D, Beaton DE, Backman CL, Cao X, Badley EM. Striking a balance: work-health-personal life conflict in women and men with arthritis and its association with work outcomes. Journal of Occupational Rehabilitation. 2013;24(3):537-584. doi:10.1007/s10926-013-9490-5.
- Sankar A, Davis AM, Palaganas MP, Beaton DE, Badley EM, Gignac MA. Return to work and workplace activity limitations following total hip or knee replacement. Osteoarthritis and cartilage / OARS, Osteoarthritis Research Society. 2013;21(10):1485-1493. doi:10.1016/j.joca.2013.06.005.
Speaker Series presentations
- Unveiling the JDAPT: A new interactive tool to identify work-related support strategies for workers with chronic conditions and disability. IWH Speaker Series. March 21, 2023.
- What do workplaces need to know to help older workers stay on the job? A qualitative study of older workers’ disclosure decisions. IWH Speaker Series. September 20, 2022.
- Does it matter what workers’ reasons are for disclosing or not disclosing a disability at work? Why and how?. IWH Speaker Series. November 24, 2020.
- Challenges in accommodating mental and physical health conditions: What workplace parties are saying. IWH Speaker Series. June 12, 2018.
Interviews and articles
- Workplaces face many complex challenges when managing episodic disabilities: study. At Work: Institute for Work & Health; No. 101, Summer 2020.
- What research can do: IWH researchers help MPs examine episodic disabilities and work issues. At Work: Institute for Work & Health; No. 98, Fall 2019.
- Chronic diseases not slowing down older workers. Canadian HR Reporter. August 28, 2019. Available from: https://www.hrreporter.com/focus-areas/wellness-mental-health/chronic-diseases-not-slowing-down-older-workers/304579
- Despite pain and fatigue, older workers with chronic conditions want to work to age 65. At Work: Institute for Work & Health; No. 97, Summer 2019.
- Boomers with and without chronic conditions have similar needs for workplace supports . At Work: Institute for Work & Health; No. 95, Winter 2019.