Marga Ingeborg Thome was born in Oberlöstern,
Wadern,
Germany, on 17 July 1942. She completed A-levels with the Ketteler Kolleg,
Mainz, Germany, finished nursing school in 1963 at the Universitätskliniken Homburg, Saar, Germany, and midwifery school in 1965 at the Kantonales Frauenspital,
Bern,
Switzerland. She completed studies as a teacher in nursing in 1973 in
Heidelberg, Germany, a Diploma of Advanced Nursing Studies and a master's degree in 1977 from
Victoria University in
Manchester, England and acquired a doctoral degree (PhD) from
Queen Margaret University and
Open University in
Edinburgh, Scotland, in 1997. She is a citizen of Germany and Iceland and has resided in Iceland since 1973. Marga was a part-time teacher in nursing with the University of Iceland from 1974–1975. In 1977, she received the first chair in nursing as an Assistant Professor with the Department of Nursing. In 1980, she was promoted to Associate Professor and in 2006 to full professorship until her retirement in 2012. She was amongst those developing the curriculum in nursing into a
bachelor of science degree and later also helped develop curriculums for masters and doctoral degrees and midwifery studies. Marga taught both nursing and midwifery at basic and advanced levels. She participated in international collaborations with universities and research institutes in Germany and Austria. She contributed to international scholarly societies aiming to develop knowledge related to mental health during the childbearing period and the first years of life (Marcé Society and Society of Reproductive and Infant Psychology). From 1997–2000, Marga was the first chairperson at the Nursing Research Institute at the University of Iceland, and the first Dean of the Faculty of Nursing from 2000–2003. She worked as a nurse and midwife in Germany, Switzerland, and Iceland before teaching at the University of Iceland. == Expertise and research ==