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College of Nursing

Biography

Dr. Michelle Pavloff is an Associate Professor at the University of Saskatchewan (USask) College of Nursing and a registered nurse with extensive experience in rural, remote, and agricultural health. Her research program focuses on mental health and wellbeing among farmers, ranchers, rural health-care providers, and other underserved populations, with a strong emphasis on community-engaged and patient-oriented research.

Dr. Pavloff is the Research Lead, Advisor, and Co-Founder of the SaskAgMatters Mental Health Network and leads the Saskatchewan Farmer and Rancher Mental Health (FARMh) Initiative, a provincially and nationally recognized program translating research into practical mental health supports for agricultural communities. Her work spans mixed-methods research, knowledge mobilization, rural nursing practice, and culturally responsive care.

She holds a PhD and Master of Nursing (MN) from USask and a postgraduate certificate from Harvard Medical School, Postgraduate Medical Education. Dr. Pavloff has held leadership roles at provincial and national levels, including serving as President of the Canadian Association for Rural and Remote Nursing, a member of the Canadian Network of Nursing Specialties Advisory Committee, and a member of the Saskatchewan Centre for Patient Oriented Research Oversight Committee. She currently serves on the Board of the Saskatchewan Health Research Foundation.

Research Interests

  • Rural health
  • Farmer and rancher mental health
  • Rural nursing
  • Patient oriented research
  • Knowledge Mobilization

Methodology

  • Qualitative
  • Mixed methods

Grants

Pavloff, M., SaskAgMatters Mental Health, Bridges Health, Canadian Centre for Rural and Agricultural Health. (2025 – 2026). SaskAgBuddy. $50,000 (CAD). Producer Mental Wellbeing Initiative, Agriculture and Agri-Foods Canada.
Pavloff, M., Beck, C., Laventure, S., Stewart, C., & Weinheimer, A. (2025 – 2026). Saskatchewan farmer and rancher mental health (FARMh) initiative: iKM to 2.0. $10,000 (CAD). Mobilize Grant, Saskatchewan Health Research Foundation.
Dykhuizen, M., Pavloff, M., Dykhuizen, T., Fayant-McLeod, T., & Marshall, K. (2025 – 2026). Pictures of health: Exploring wellness among 2STNBGN people in rural and remote Saskatchewan through photovoice. $10,000 (CAD). Align Grant, Saskatchewan Health Research Foundation.
Mund, S., Pavloff, M., & Kostiuk, S. (2025 – 2025). Understanding isolation and resilience in rural large animal veterinarians. $9500 (CAD). Align Grant, Saskatchewan Health Research Foundation.
Lawson, J., Adamko, D., Balbuena, L., Cockcroft, D., Ferro, M., Goodridge, D., Pavloff, M., Philipenko, B., & Pylypow, J. (2025 – 2026). A follow-up investigation into childhood asthma and mental or neurodevelopmental disorders multimorbidity. $24,965 (CAD). Team Building Grant, College of Medicine, University of Saskatchewan, Respiratory Research Centre.
Kostiuk, S. & Pavloff, M. (2025 – 2029). Sask seniors connect: A hybrid educational and social hub for Saskatchewan seniors. $1,200,000 (CAD). New Horizons Pan Canadian Grant, Economic and Social Development Canada, Government of Canada.
Purc-Stephenson, R., Jones, A., & Pavloff, M. (2024 – 2025). Farmer mental health, help-seeking, and resilience: Exploring the intersectionality of farm cultures in Canada. $24,740 (CAD). Partnership Engage Grant, Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council.
Pavloff, M., Kostiuk, S., & Mundt, S. (2023 – 2024). Exploring the mental health and wellbeing needs of large animal and rural veterinarians in Saskatchewan. $2500 (CAD). Schools of Nursing and Health Sciences Internal Grant, Saskatchewan Polytechnic.
Pavloff, M. (2023).  (2023 – 2024). Farm reminiscing: The experiences of older Saskatchewan adults using a telephone-based social program. $9899 (CAD). Align Grant, Saskatchewan Health Research Foundation.
Pavloff, M. (2022). Saskatchewan Farmer and Rancher Mental Health (FARMh) Initiative. $6200 (CAD). Community donation, OneChurch, Carlyle, Saskatchewan.
Pavloff, M. (2022). Sports reminiscing: The experiences of older Saskatchewan adults using a telephone-based social program. $6000 (CAD). Seed Applied Research Program, Saskatchewan Polytechnic.
Pavloff, M., Farthing, P., McDonald, S., Duff, E., Cooley, M., Heuchert, B., Wasko, K., Labrecque, M.E., Beck, C., Szafron, M., Schmalenberg, T., Laventure, S., Lustig, J., Todd, V., Pavloff, G., & Disiewich, K. (2022 - 2024). Saskatchewan Farmer and Rancher Mental Health (FARMh) Initiative. $119,000 (CAD). Establishment Grant, Saskatchewan Health Research Foundation.
Pavloff, M. & Beck, C. (2021). Saskatchewan Farmer and Rancher Mental Health (FARMh) Initiative. $5000 (CAD). Community donation, Cargill Cares, Cargill.
Pavloff, M. & Lawrence, L. (2021). YOUth Matter: Evaluating the mental health of rural Saskatchewan youth. $6000 (CAD). Seed Applied Research Program, Saskatchewan Polytechnic.
Pavloff, M., Labrecque, M.E., Farthing, P., Luimes, J., Jahner, S., & Wentzel., J. (2020 - 2021). The impact of COVID-19 knowledge support on rural and remote Saskatchewan nurses’ mental health. $10,000 (CAD). Research Connections: COVID-19 Rapid Response Grant, Saskatchewan Health Research Foundation.
Pavloff, M., Farthing, P., McDonald, S., Duff, E., Cooley, M., Heuchert, B., Wasko, K., Labrecque, M.E., Beck, C., Szafron, M., Schmalenberg, T., Laventure, S., Lustig, J., Todd, V., Pavloff, G., & Disiewich, K. (2020 - 2022). Saskatchewan Farmer and Rancher Mental Health (FARMh) Initiative. $180,000 (CAD). Sprout Grant, Saskatchewan Health Research Foundation & Saskatchewan Centre for Patient Oriented Research.
Pavloff, M., Farthing, P., McDonald, S., Duff, E., Cooley, M., Heuchert, B., Wasko, K., Labrecque, M.E., Beck, C., Szafron, M., Schmalenberg, T., Laventure, S., Lustig, J., Todd, V., Pavloff, G., & Disiewich, K. (2020 - 2021). Saskatchewan Farmer and Rancher Mental Health (FARMh) Initiative. $3750 (CAD). Mental Health & Addictions Program, Saskatchewan Centre for Patient Oriented Research.

Publications

External Committees

  • Board Member, Saskatchewan Health Research Foundation Board of Directors, 2025 to present
  • Member, The Do More Agriculture National Community of Practice, 2025 to present
  • Committee Member, Saskatchewan Centre for Patient Oriented Research Oversight Committee, 2024 to 2025
  • Advisor & Research Lead, SaskAgMatters Mental Health Network, Inc., 2023 to present
  • Past President, Canadian Association for Rural and Remote Nursing, 2021 to 2022
  • Member, Network Advisory Committee (Canadian Network of Nursing Specialties, Canadian Nurses Association), 2020 to 2022
  • Member, Saskatchewan Centre for Patient Oriented Research (SCPOR) Affiliated Research Alliance, 2020 to present
  • Representative for the Canadian Association for Rural and Remote Nursing, Canadian Network of Nursing Specialties (Canadian Nurses Association), 2019 to 2022
  • Chair, Canadian Rural and Remote Nursing Framework Working Group, 2019 to 2021
  • President, Canadian Association for Rural and Remote Nursing, 2019 to 2021
  • Member, Canadian Rural and Remote Nursing Representative, Rural Road Map Implementation Committee (RRMIC) (Society of Rural Physicians of Canada & The College of Family Physicians of Canada), 2019 to 2021

Honours

  • Saskatchewan Health Research Foundation Connections Award (with the SaskAgMatters team), 2026
  • ABEX Awards Finalist for the Non-Profit Impact Award (with the SaskAgMatters team), 2025
  • Highlighted in the Letter to Canadians from the Governor General, 2025
  • YWCA Women of Distinction Award, Health and Wellness, Saskatoon, YWCA, 2025
  • Education for Sustainable Development Recognition Award, (United Nations University-designated) Saskatchewan
  • Regional Centre of Expertise on Education for Sustainable Development, 2023
  • Faculty Award for Excellence in Applied Research, Saskatchewan Polytechnic, 2022