She/Her
Virginie Cobigo is a full professor at the University of Ottawa, School of Psychology. Her outstanding academic career includes 70 peer-reviewed articles in both English and French, and hundreds of presentations around the globe.
Professor Cobigo’s influence extends far beyond academia. As founder and director of Open Collaboration for Cognitive Accessibility, also known as Open, she leads the world’s first and only social enterprise focused on growing inclusive research in cognitive accessibility. Open is the Canada’s largest and most neurodiverse team supporting the development of cognitively accessible solutions, using inclusive R&D methods. Open has already been approached and leveraged by several national government agencies and large private-sector organizations, including the Bank of Canada and Employment and Social Development Canada.
Professor Cobigo’s work has led to tangible improvements in workplace accessibility and digital currency usage for individuals with cognitive disabilities. Her research contributions at uOttawa have not only advanced theoretical understanding but also resulted in practical applications that directly benefit society. In 2021, Professor Cobigo was honoured in the “uOttawa More Inclusion, Better Research: Inspiring Stories” competition for her groundbreaking work on inclusive excellence. In 2024, she received the Excellence in Research Award from the Faculty of Social Sciences at the University of Ottawa. The award distinguishes research personnel for their exceptional research work.
Professor Cobigo conducts research that redefines social inclusion for people with cognitive disabilities. Her 2012 paper, Shifting our conceptualization of social inclusion, has been cited over 300 times, which testifies to its immense impact in the field. This innovative study has shaped how researchers understand and approach social inclusion. The paper’s influence is evident in the words of other leading researchers in the field. One American lead author on the concept of social inclusion (Simplican) wrote: “Cobigo defined social inclusion with significant depth.” Similarly, another paper written by Overmars-Marx et al. stated: “We base our concept of social inclusion on the recent work of Cobigo and colleagues (2012) […] A more comprehensive approach is rare.” This research has become a cornerstone in the field, shaping how social inclusion is understood and studied.