Laura Funk

Professor Laura Funk is a Professor in the Department of Sociology and Criminology at the University of Manitoba, located within the Faculty of Arts. Her work focuses on social and critical gerontology, examining care work, family caregiving, and palliative care policy. She has led multiple SSHRC-funded research teams and participated in Tri-Council grants addressing aging, home care, and family care work. Funk’s research explores how care practices engage broader societal discourses on age, responsibility, and care in contexts of eroding formal supports.

Education:

• PhD in Sociology, University of Victoria (2008)
• MA in Sociology, University of Victoria (2002)
• Post-Baccalaureate Diploma in Gerontology, Simon Fraser University (2000)
• BA (Honours) in Sociology, University of British Columbia (1997)

Research Interests: Care work, family/friend caregiving, palliative care policy, service-integrated housing for older adults, and aging in the context of systemic and policy changes. Her work bridges academic inquiry with public advocacy, including op-eds and consultations with Manitoba’s Seniors and Healthy Aging Secretariat.

Key Contributions: Funk’s research addresses structural barriers for older adults, including housing access, navigation of formal supports, and the emotional labor of care workers. She has published widely on topics like aggression in care settings, dying at home preferences, and feminist care activism. Recent projects include SSHRC-funded studies on care mobilization and a community-based inquiry into low-income housing supports for older adults.

Awards:

• 2019 Canadian Association of Gerontology Recognition Award
• 2015 Rh Institute Outstanding Contributions Award
• 2010 Anselm Strauss Award

Teaching & Outreach: Funk teaches courses on aging, qualitative research, and end-of-life care. She is known for mentorship and received a 2023 teaching award from the Arts Student Body Council. Her outreach includes collaborations with Manitoba’s Public Interest Law Centre and community-based projects like Lions Place and Indigenous Seniors Research initiatives.