Researchers and Experts

Dr. Melissa Dykhuizen holds a Bachelor of Science in Nursing, a Master of Nursing, and a Doctor of Philosophy (Nursing) from the University of Saskatchewan. Since 2014, she has been a faculty member in the Saskatchewan Collaborative Bachelor of Science in Nursing (SCBScN) program at Saskatchewan Polytechnic’s Leslie and Irene Dubé School of Nursing. Her clinical nursing background includes oncology, maternal/child, and community health.

As a research chair at the Centre for Health Research Innovation and Scholarship (CHRIS), Melissa leads initiatives that integrate equity, diversity, inclusion, and reconciliation into patient-oriented curricula. Her research embraces a holistic perspective on health, aiming to advance the wellness of transgender and Two Spirit individuals and communities in Saskatchewan. Melissa has a strong interest in art-based qualitative methods, such as visual arts and storytelling, to promote the wellness of equity-deserving populations.

Linda is the program head for the Sask Polytech Therapeutic Recreation program and serves as a research chair with a focus on school-based recreation therapy for the Centre for Health Research, Innovation and Scholarship (CHRIS). Linda has been working with Saskatoon’s school divisions to implement recreation therapy services in school-based programs to support children with various mental health, physical, developmental and/or learning disabilities in specialized school programs. She is the principal investigator for school-based recreation therapy and a co-investigator and partner with a University of British Columbia (UBC) research team working on a project enhancing the participation and inclusion of children with neurodevelopmental and intellectual disorders in community-based physical activity programs.

Prior to this Linda worked at the University of Saskatchewan, College of Kinesiology as the director of an evidence-based childhood obesity prevention program and the Saskatoon Health Region as the director and professional leader for Therapeutic Recreation Services and the health promotion strategy in motion.