Mariana Brussoni

Professor, PhD

Director, Human Early Learning Partnership

Dr. Mariana Brussoni is Director of the Human Early Learning Partnership, Professor in the Department of Pediatrics and the School of Population and Public Health at the University of British Columbia (UBC) in Canada. She is an investigator with the British Columbia Children’s Hospital Research Institute and the British Columbia Injury Research & Prevention Unit. Mariana is a founding member and on the board of Outdoor Play Canada.

Mariana is a developmental psychologist whose award-winning research investigates child injury prevention and children’s risky play, focusing on parent and caregiver perceptions of risk, and design of outdoor play-friendly environments – with a special focus on promoting equitable access to outdoor play. After years spent examining child injury statistics and researching injury prevention, Mariana became interested in the intersection between injury prevention, risk taking and outdoor play, concerned that well-meaning attempts to keep children safe were putting too many limits on children’s play despite the fact that serious injuries are rare. She partners with practitioners and policy makers in early childhood education, schooling, municipal planning and recreation provision, with the aim of creating environments where all children thrive in healthy societies. She has published her research extensively and has been widely featured in international media.