Michelle L. Gagnon, MBA, PhD
President, Palix Foundation
Adjunct Professor, Cumming School of Medicine, University of Calgary
[email protected] (work)
[email protected] (personal)
Tel: 403-390-7246 (cell); 403-648-2214 (office)
PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE
PALIX FOUNDATION (formerly NORLIEN FOUNDATION), Calgary, Alberta, 2012 - Present
A private, family foundation with a long philanthropic history, substantive financial assets and a small
team of staff (12) and consultants (about 10). Governed by a Board of Directors made up of local
business leaders and seeks strategic advice from an advisory council made up of local, national and
international experts. Established the Alberta Family Wellness Initiative (AFWI) in 2007 to invest in
research, knowledge mobilization, professional development and cross sector collaboration to build
understanding about how early life experiences and intergenerational factors contribute to early brain
and biological development and subsequent mental health and addiction outcomes across the lifespan.
Actively develops and works with networks of public and private system actors to apply this knowledge
in innovative ways to improve health and well-being outcomes for children and families.
June 2015 – present: President
June 2014 – June 2015: Vice President and Chief Operating Officer
February 13 - March 31, 2014: Acting President
September 2012 - June 2014: Vice President, Senior Program Manager
ALBERTA HEALTH SERVICES, Calgary, Alberta, 2011-2012
Alberta’s single health authority responsible for delivering health services across the province.
September 2011 - August 2012: Director, Provincial Research Strategy and Priorities
CANADIAN INSTITUTES OF HEALTH RESEARCH (CIHR), Ottawa, Ontario, 2001-2011
Canada’s federal funding agency for health research composed of 13 institutes.
May 2010 - August 2011: Director, Research Capacity Development
October 2007 - May 2010: Director, Knowledge Translation (KT)
2002 - October 2007: Assistant Director, CIHR-Institutes of Health Services and Policy Research
and Population and Public Health (IHSPR and IPPH)
2001-2002: Special Advisor, Strategic Coordination, Institute Liaison Group
Résumé: Michelle L. Gagnon, MBA, PhD
OTHER PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE
2000-2001:
Coordinator, Policy Research Initiative (PRI), Government of Canada
Winter 2000:
Research Assistant, The Flett Consulting Group, Ottawa
1999:
Consultant/Research Assistant, Judi Paterson and Associates, Ottawa
1990-1991:
Childbirth Educator, Registered Nurse, Ottawa-Carleton Health Department
1986-1987:
Registered Nurse, Psychiatry, University of British Columbia Health Sciences Centre
1985-1986:
Registered Nurse, Cardiovascular Surgery Recovery Room, University of Alberta Hospitals
EDUCATION
2012
Doctorate (PhD), Interdisciplinary Population Health PhD Program, University of Ottawa
• Thesis title: Global Health Diplomacy - Understanding how and why health is integrated into foreign
policy: A case study of the UK’s health is global strategy
• Thesis Supervisor: Ronald Labonté, MA, PhD, Canada Research Chair, Globalization and Health Equity,
University of Ottawa (continue to collaborate with Dr. Labonté on 2014 CIHR program grant)
• Published four papers based on this research
1999
Master of Business Administration (MBA) (General Management), University of Ottawa
1985
Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BScN), University of Ottawa
1984
Bachelor of Arts (BA) (General Studies), University of Ottawa (Silver Medalist)
VOLUNTEER EXPERIENCE / MEMBERSHIPS
September 2015January 2014November 2013January 2013December 2013July 201120102005-2007
2004-2005
1994-1999
1994
1993
1992-1994
Member, St. Mary’s University, Board of Governors, Chair, President’s Dinner
Member, St. Mary’s University, Community Advisory Committee, (Calgary)
Adjunct Professor, Cumming School of Medicine, University of Calgary
Member, United Way, Council of Champions (Calgary)
Member, Mental Health Affiliate Group, Philanthropic Foundations Canada
Member, O’Brien Institute for Public Health, University of Calgary
Member, British International Studies Association (BISA)
Board member, Glebe Community Association (Ottawa)
Board member, Macdonald-Cartier Academy Board of Governors (Ottawa)
Parent representative, Corpus Christi School Council (Ottawa)
Member, Canadian Parents for French (Ottawa)
Volunteer, Homelessness Committee, St. Joseph’s Parish (Seattle)
Board member, Chairperson, Basic Teacher Education Task Force, Personnel
Committee, Childbirth Education Association of Seattle
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Résumé: Michelle L. Gagnon, MBA, PhD
PUBLICATIONS
Ruckert A, Labonte R, Lenchua R, Runnels V & Gagnon M. (in press). Global health diplomacy: A critical
review of the literature. Social Science and Medicine.
Gagnon, Michelle; Foote, Nathaniel; Quinn Patton, Michael; Radner, James; Patrizi, Patricia; Bare, John;
Sherwood, Kay; and Behrens, Teresa (2015) "Reflections and Commentary on a Theory of Philanthropy,"
The Foundation Review: Vol. 7: Iss. 4, Article 7.
Gagnon, M. (2014). Using empirical research and a novel theoretical framework to advance an
understanding of the theory and practice of global health diplomacy. Journal of Health Diplomacy, Vol. 1,
Issue 2
Gagnon, M & Labonté R. (2013). Understanding how and why health is integrated into foreign policy – a
case study of health is global, a UK Government Strategy 2008-2013, Globalization and Health, 9 (24), 119
Labonté R, Runnels & Gagnon M. (2012). Past Fame, Present Frames and Future Flagship? An Exploration
of How Health is Positioned in Canadian Foreign Policy, Adm. Sci. 2012, 2(2), 162-185;
doi:10.3390/admsci2020162 - published online 11 April 2012
Gagnon, M & Labonté R. (2011). Human rights and global health diplomacy: A critical assessment,
Journal of Human Rights, 10:2, 189-213
Labonté R & Gagnon M. (2010). Framing health and foreign policy: lessons for global health diplomacy,
Globalization and Health, 6 (14), 1-19
Gagnon ML. (2009). Moving knowledge to action through dissemination and exchange. J Clin Epidemiol.
2011 Jan;64(1):25-31. Epub 2009 Dec 11
Watson D, Barer M, Matkovich H & Gagnon M. (2007). Wait Time Benchmarks, Research Evidence and
the Knowledge Translation Process, Healthcare Policy, 2, (3), 56-62
BOOK CHAPTERS
Graham, ID, Tetroe J. & Gagnon M. (2013). Knowledge dissemination: End of grant knowledge
translation. pp. 75-92. In Straus SE, Tetroe J and Graham ID. Knowledge Translation in Health Care:
Moving from Evidence to Practice. 2nd edition. Oxford: Wiley-Blackwell
Gagnon M. (2009). Knowledge dissemination and exchange of knowledge. pp. 235-245. In Straus SE,
Tetroe J and Graham ID. Knowledge Translation in Health Care: Moving from Evidence to Practice.
Oxford: Wiley-Blackwell
BOOK REVIEWS
Gagnon, M. Review of book entitled Priorities in Health; Dean T. Jamison, Joel G. Breman, Anthony R.
Measham, George Alleyne, Mariam Claeson, David B. Evans, Prabhat Jha, Anne Mills, Philip Musgrave
(Eds.). Washington, DC.: The World Bank, 2006 in Canadian Journal of Public Health, 99 (1) 2008, p. 78
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Résumé: Michelle L. Gagnon, MBA, PhD
PRESENTATIONS (abridged)
• Alberta Family Wellness Initiative: A social innovation platform, presented at First 2000 Days Network
Conference, Calgary, July 2015
• Global Health Diplomacy: Integrating Health into Foreign Policy presented at 2014 Global Health
Forum, Geneva, April 14-16
• Integrating Health into Foreign Policy: A case study of the UK’s Health is Global Strategy, presented at
the Canadian Conference on Global Health, fall 2010 and at the International Studies Association
(Montreal, March 2011)
• , 2014, Institute for Knowledge Mobilization Conference, Saskatoon; meetings with policymakers,
London and Blackpool, UK
• Numerous presentations to different audiences over many years, (eg. in 2009-2010, presented at the
SSHRC Leaders event on a Tri-council panel; represented CIHR at the launch of new National Research
Council (NRC) - Olympus Centre; presented a webcast on KT for the National Center for the
Dissemination of Disability Research (US based); presented about KT with Tri-council partners at the
2010 Knowledge Mobilization Expo; presented about KT at the International Polar Year Early Results
Workshop; presented about experience with CIHR Wait Times initiative at 2009 Science Policy
Interface Health Portfolio workshop), presented at Norlien’s 2013 Accelerating Innovation
Symposium, the United Way Council of Champion, January 2014, Adverse Childhood Experiences
conference, Fall 2013).
PEER REVIEW TYPE ACTIVITIES (abridged)
• February 2015: Reviewer for Globalization and Health published by London School of Economics.
Reviewed manuscript entitled, Global health policy-making in high-income countries: what role for
health promotion?
• December 2013, Reviewer for Globalization and Health. Reviewed manuscript entitled, Global health
impact of policies: Lessons from the UK.
• December 2013: Reviewer for Bulletin of the World Health Organization published by World Health
Organization (WHO). Reviewed manuscript entitled, Health in foreign policy? A review of the strategic
partnership between BRIC countries and the European Union.
• July, 2009: served as a member of the Global Health Research Initiative merit review panel that
reviewed the Teasdale Corti Initiative KT supplementary grants
• May, 2010: served as an external reviewer for a KT article under review for the Journal of Continuing
Education in the Health Professions
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