Dr. Nancy Gyurcsik (she/her) is a Professor in the College of Kinesiology at the University of Saskatchewan. Nancy has expertise in exercise psychology. The overall aim of her research is to help adults start and maintain a physically active lifestyle to better manage their chronic pain. Nancy identifies psychological factors that relate to more regular participation in physical activity among adults living with chronic pain. Example factors include confidence to cope with pain and related barriers, motivating outcomes expected from being active, pain acceptance, and resilience. Nancy also translates knowledge gained from her research program into evidence-based community activity programming. Nancy’s research has been funded by the Canadian Institutes of Health (CIHR), Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada (SSHRC), Saskatchewan Health Research Foundation (SHRF), and Saskatchewan Community Initiatives Fund.

Dr. Susan Tupper is the Manager of Professional Practice for Pain Strategy and Research with the Saskatchewan Health Authority. She is a licensed physical therapist with a PhD in Community Health and Epidemiology. Susan’s role with the Health Authority includes applied research, strategic planning, policy and clinical standards writing, and education for healthcare providers, trainees, and the public. Her patient-engaged research examines clinical interactions about pain for those with chronic health conditions, virtual reality for pain management, and education about pain for exercise instructors and family caregivers. Susan is a member of the Pain Canada National Advisory Committee and chair of the Board of Directors of the Saskatchewan Pain Society, SaskPain, a non-profit charity that aims to improve pain management in Saskatchewan.

Dr. Bart Arnold began his career in the College of Kinesiology as Coordinator of the Human Performance Center in 2000 after a five year term working with musculoskeletal injuries at a private physiotherapy clinic. In 2005, he became a faculty member in the College of Kinesiology and is responsible for teaching a number of applied exercise physiology courses. His professional experiences include chairperson of the Saskatchewan Kinesiology and Exercise Science Association (SKESA) as well as chairperson of the Professional Standards Committee of the Canadian Society for Exercise Physiology (CSEP). In addition, he was the exercise/physical activity consultant for Allergan Canada’s Lap- Band division from 2010 to 2016. His past research includes examining the detraining effect on college athletes, prohibited substance use among competitive strength athletes, functional movement assessment in elite athletes as well as the prevalence of metabolic syndrome in college football players.

Sarah Benson is a MSc student at the University of Saskatchewan, where she is exploring the impact of physical activity on bone health in older adults. Before coming to the University of Saskatchewan, Sarah completed her Bachelor of Kinesiology Honours degree at the University of Regina. Sarah holds a Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist (CSCS) credential through the National Strength and Conditioning Association. Sarah has an interest in neurorehabilitation and, as part of her undergraduate studies, Sarah’s Honours research study examined the barriers and facilitators to physical activity for individuals post-stroke. As a research assistant with the Active Living for Pain team, Sarah supports the implementation and evaluation of the Movement that Matters program, working directly with participants and contributing to program delivery and data collection. Sarah is driven by a commitment to making physical activity more accessible and effective for people managing chronic pain and other health challenges. Sarah brings both technical expertise and a compassionate, client-centered approach to her work, aiming to help individuals build confidence in their movement and long-term well-being.

Jocelyn Blouin is a PhD candidate in the College of Kinesiology at the University of Saskatchewan supervised by the Active Living for Pain principal investigator, Nancy Gyurcsik. She promotes physical activity, healthy lifestyles, and disease self-management strategies among various adult populations. Her PhD research aims to identify key factors involved in adults’ decisions to use strategies like physical activity to manage their chronic pain and live well. Jocelyn has been awarded competitive multi-year funding to complete her PhD research from the University of Saskatchewan and the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada (SSHRC). Jocelyn is currently the lead research assistant for our Active Living for Pain team. She has been an active member of our team as a research assistant since 2015. As a member of our team, Jocelyn contributes expertise in the social psychology of health and physical activity, self-management, health behaviour change, research methods, statistics, and knowledge translation.

Danielle (Dani) R. Brittain, PhD, is a Professor and the Dean of the College of Kinesiology at the University of Saskatchewan. Dr. Brittain’s research concerns the: (a) identification of social-psychological factors impacting adherence to physical activity among marginalized populations of women (i.e., adult lesbians; women with non-cancer chronic pain) and (b) development of theoretically-driven interventions targeting social and behavior change processes that aid in the self-management and maintenance of physical activity. Dr. Brittain brings a public health lens to the research team, focusing on community engagement. Dr. Brittain is also an Associate Editor for Practice Notes in Health Promotion Practice. In her spare time, she enjoys being outside, being active, and playing with her dog Harper.

Kelly Corrine (KC) Hall is a Certified Health Education Specialist with a passion for engaging with diverse communities towards health equity. KC is also a PhD candidate at the University of Saskatchewan. She received her Master of Public Health degree from the Colorado School of Public Health in 2016. KC has over five years of experience developing and implementing workshops and programs to diverse populations, including in the community and in the higher education setting. KC has expertise leading community engaged health initiatives including working with LGBTQ2S+ individuals and older adults. As Project Coordinator, KC works with PI Gyurcsik in coordinating all research activities and provides input on community engagement design and strategies. KC also assists in the facilitation of community engaged meetings and leads research team meetings throughout the grant cycle. Additionally, KC contributes to the translation of knowledge gained in our research by leading the development and maintenance of our Active Living for Pain website and social media accounts.

Katelyn Halpape completed her Bachelor of Science in Pharmacy at the University of Saskatchewan in 2012, her Hospital Pharmacy Residency in Regina in 2013, and the Doctor of Pharmacy program at UBC in 2015. Katelyn is board certified in Psychiatric Pharmacy. Katelyn is an Assistant Professor in the areas of mental health, addictions and neurology with the College of Pharmacy and Nutrition at the University of Saskatchewan, she also works as a consultant clinical pharmacist in psychiatry and addictions with the Saskatchewan Health Authority, and is the clinical lead for the USask Chronic Pain Clinic. Through her lens as pharmacist, she will assist our team is researching the impact of exercise on pain medication use.

Aryan (Ian) Kurniawan is a MSc candidate at the College of Kinesiology at the University of Saskatchewan. Ian resonates with the team's mission, having witnessed the impact that movement fear avoidance and anxiety can have on a person’s daily life. As the lead research assistant for the Active Living for Pain team, Ian provides on-site support to meet all requirements for implementing and evaluating the Movement that Matters program, which was co-designed with adults living in Saskatchewan who experience moderate to severe chronic pain. Outside of Ian’s work with the Active Living for Pain team, Ian is working towards completing his MSc degree in the College of Kinesiology, University of Saskatchewan. Under the supervision of Dr. Jon Farthing, Ian’s research explores the neuromuscular phenomenon of "cross-education," investigating its potential as a novel rehabilitation method for unilateral injury or impairment. Whether it’s advancing strategies for recovering from injury or managing pain, Ian is committed bridging the gap between research and practice to help individuals achieve their movement goals.

Dr. Sean Locke is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Kinesiology at Brock University. He received his PhD from the University of Saskatchewan in the area of exercise psychology and a postdoctoral fellowship at the University of British Columbia (UBC) in the areas of diabetes prevention and community health. Sean runs the REFRAME Lab OR REFraming Rehabilitation Adherence, Motivation and Exercise lab, which focuses on developing interventions to modify health-related thoughts and behaviours to help individuals prevent or manage complex chronic conditions.

After 37 years of working and contributing to Saskatchewan’s recreation industry, Wendy recently retired as the Physical Activity and Fitness Consultant at Saskatchewan Parks and Recreation Association (SPRA). For 12 years (2010- 2022) her key roles included management of the Fitness Leadership Certification Program, supporting over 400 Fitness Leaders in Saskatchewan, fostering partnerships with provincial and national physical activity organizations, government and the community to increase community capacity to participate in the broad physical activity agenda. Prior to joining SPRA, she was Recreation Director, Town of Outlook for 20 years (1989-2019) linking the communities’ volunteer recreation, sport, culture organizations and committees and directing a comprehensive recreation program, involving the coordination, maintenance and scheduling of all recreation facilities. She received a Bachelor of Science in Physical Education from the U of S in 1985. Wendy is also a SPRA Certified Fitness Leader (Group and Older Adult), teaching fitness classes within her local community in Regina.

Maeve Mckinnon works as the Assistant Consultant – Active Living at Saskatchewan Parks and Recreation Association. She received her Bachelor of Sport and Recreation Studies with a major in Therapeutic Recreation at the University of Regina. Maeve’s role on the team is as a Knowledge User, working with the intervention co-design team. She will also contribute to the recruitment of the exercise professionals and knowledge translation activities.

Jennifer received a bachelor of honours degree in marketing from the University of Saskatchewan. Upon graduating, Jennifer worked in many areas of marketing such as brand development, business strategy and management. Over time, she utilized her unique skills and experiences to operate a successful marketing and corporate events planning company. After developing a spinal condition, Jennifer shifted her focus toward pain management and received a number of certifications in mindfulness, meditation, the study of consciousness and yin yoga. Jennifer is passionate about progressing pain care throughout Saskatchewan and is excited to be part of this vital work. She is confident that her lived experience and marketing expertise will add value to the research team. Her role will include co-developing the self-regulatory skills and physical activity program. Additionally, she will help to identify target markets, create dissemination materials, and contribute to scientific, clinical, and lay audience presentations and publications.

Don has been a consultant in the physical activity and health promotion field for 25 years. He has worked at a local, regional, provincial, and national level with a variety of organisations and sectors. His focus has been on leading the facilitation and identification of vision, outcomes, and actions to enhance inclusive physical activity opportunities. Don has been working with the Active Living for Pain team since 2015 in the roles as a community physical activity consultant and project coordinator. Presently, Don is working with our team to facilitate a process to assist in the design of an appropriate and engaging physical activity program for persons with lived experiences of chronic pain. As well, Don will be assisting in the program development and delivery of the resulting physical activity initiative. Don is excited to bring his years of experience to the team and looks forward to helping more people living with chronic pain find successful ways to incorporate physical activity as part of their pain management strategy!

Laura Zottl is a fourth-year undergraduate student completing an honours thesis in Kinesiology at Brock University. She is a research assistant in Dr. Locke’s REFRAME Lab where she works with people to help them overcome their negative barriers to exercise through exercise counseling. She has lived with chronic pain for 8+ years and has a continuing interest in understanding how to promote activity for people managing chronic pain. Laura has helped to develop and evaluate the information on this website. She plans to continue her studies at Brock University in a Master’s program where she can expand her research in physical activity promotion.