Maryellen Gibson
Maryellen is the research coordinator for the PAWSitive Support Program for Veterans with Post Traumatic Stress Disorder and Who Problematically Use Substances, a patient-oriented project funded by Health Canada. With a background in the social determinants of health and health inequities, Maryellen’s work focuses on harm reduction, substance use, and stigma. She applies this background to all facets of her current position
Maryellen has contributed to numerous research activities on a variety of topics including cannabis harm reduction, knowledge translation of health information to youth, male experiences of intimate partner violence, youth mental health, the opioid crisis in Saskatoon, and sexual health organizational policy. She is enthusiastic to be part of the One Health Office and both apply and expand her knowledge on patient-oriented and community-based research approaches and project development.
Maryellen has lived with animals her whole life, growing up on a sheep farm in rural Alberta. She now lives in Saskatoon where she is an active board member of Saskatoon Sexual Health, advocating for sexual and reproductive health rights for all. She enjoys painting, listening to podcasts, and traveling the world.
Education
MPH, focus on the social determinants of health and addictions, University of Saskatchewan, Saskatoon, SK
MA (Honours) in International Studies, University of Saskatchewan, Saskatoon, SK
Selected Academic Conference Presentations
Academia in Action: How Research led to Renewed Community Advocacy Efforts for Safe Injection Sites in Saskatoon Saskatchewan
Date: November 2019
Conference: Canadian Centre on Substance Use and Addictions Issues of Substance Conference
Co authors: Hanson L., Fornssler, B., Dixon, J., and Butt, P.
Consolidating perspective on the nature of Saskatoon’s evolving opioid crisis
Date: November 2019
Conference: Canadian Centre on Substance Use and Addictions Issues of Substance Conference
Co authors: Hanson L., Fornssler, B., Dixon, J., and Butt, P.
Cannabis on Campus: Best Practices for Developing Educational Resources on Cannabis Use
Date: October 2018
Conference: Canadian Research Initiative in Substance Misuse Prairie Node Annual Meeting
Co-author: Hanoski, R.
Cannabis on Campus: Best Practices for Developing Educational Resources on Cannabis Use
Date: August 2018
Conference: Saskatchewan Cannabinoid Research Symposium
Co-author: Hanoski, R.
Cannabis on Campus: Best Practices for Developing Educational Resources on Cannabis Use
Date: June 2018
Conference: Canadian Association of College and University Student Services Annual Conference
Co-author: Hanoski, R.
Selected Academic Research Papers
Gibson, M., Chalmers, D., & Ru, S. (2022). “My Lifeline is Gone”: An Exploration of the Experiences of Veterans Following the Loss of their Psychiatric Service Dog (s). Human-Animal Interaction Bulletin
Gibson, M., Williamson, L., Henwood, G., Chalmers, D., Dell, C., (2021) Perceptions and Use of Alcohol and Medical Cannabis among Canadian Military Veterans Living with PTSD . Journal of Veteran Studies
Reddekopp, J., Dell, C., Rohr, B., Fornssler, B., Gibson, M., Carey, B., Stempien J. (2020) Patient Opinion of Visiting Therapy Dogs in a Hospital Emergency Department. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health