Dr. Ali McGill: Email: a.mcgill@unb.ca
Faculty of Nursing | Health Systems Lab
MacLaggan Hall, Room 209
University of New Brunswick
P.O. Box 4400
Fredericton, N.B., Canada
E3B 5A3
Assistant Professor, Faculty of Nursing, UNB
Dr. Alexis “Ali” McGill is an Assistant Professor in the Faculty of Nursing at the University of New Brunswick. She joined UNB in 2023 after a 21‑year career as an RN and nurse practitioner in emergency and urgent care in her home city of Saint John, NB
Her research applies systems thinking and functional modelling to analyze and improve complex health care processes, particularly for immigrant populations and people experiencing homelessness.
Using the FRAM and DynaFRAM, Dr. McGill maps real-world system functioning—including both challenges and strengths—to co-design practice and policy recommendations with frontline staff and patients.
Dr. McGill was awarded the distinction of "Fellow of the School of Graduate Studies" at Memorial University in 2024.
She is also the inaugural holder of the Hon. Joan Kingston Research Chair in Health Innovation, a five-year appointment launched in December 2024, which supports her leadership in health systems research and innovation in primary care delivery models.
Postdoctoral Fellow, Faculty of Nursing, University of New Brunswick
Dr. Vahid Salehi is a Postdoctoral Fellow in the Faculty of Nursing at the University of New Brunswick. Following completion of his PhD in Engineering at Memorial University in 2022, Salehi pursued postdoctoral research at Newfoundland and Labrador Health before joining UNB in 2024 as the recipient of the Purdy Crawford / Stephen Jarislowsky Postdoctoral Fellowship in Health Policy.
His research applies systems‐engineering and human factors methods to model, analyze, and optimize healthcare delivery systems. His work involves large-scale modeling of healthcare processes using the Functional Resonance Analysis Method (FRAM), with a focus on system variability, interdependencies, and resilience.
Salehi collaborates closely with Dr. Ali McGill on interdisciplinary investigations into healthcare access challenges, particularly for newcomers, using these systems-thinking approaches. Dr. Salehi is an accomplished academic researcher with over 40 peer-reviewed articles.
MN, NP PhD Student, Systems Thinking in Health Innovation Lab Assistant Teaching Professor, Faculty of Nursing, UNB.
Beth Pavlovic is a nurse practitioner and Assistant Teaching Professor with the Faculty of Nursing at the University of New Brunswick. She holds a Master of Nursing (2021) and Bachelor of Nursing (2017), both from UNB.
Beth will begin her PhD studies in Fall 2025, where she will examine the complex process of hospital-to-community transitions for people experiencing homelessness.
Her research aims to improve care continuity and system responsiveness for this population by applying systems thinking approaches to better understand barriers and leverage points across care settings.
Her broader research interests include vulnerable populations, women’s health, cervical cancer screening, primary care access, harm reduction, the social determinants of health and cancer survivorship.
She has a strong interest in using qualitative methods and systems thinking to support health system transformation and equity-oriented care delivery.
Assistant Professor, Faculty of Nursing, UNB.
Dr. Morris’s research explores how health and care systems can better support people living with dementia. She is especially interested in how the organization of care, such as staffing, routines, or policies impact comfort, safety and well-being.
Dr. Morris examines how people with dementia, including those who are neurodivergent or have a history of trauma, experience stress in care settings, and how these environments can either support or strain their nervous systems.
Her work focuses on everyday challenges such as communication, sensory overload, and unfamiliar routines, with the goal of identifying practical ways to make dementia care more calming, person-centered and emotionally supportive.
Associate Professor, Faculty of Nursing, UNB.
Dr. Pamela Durepos is an Associate Professor in the Faculty of Nursing at the University of New Brunswick. Her research focuses on strengthening palliative care capacity within health and care systems, with a particular emphasis on long-term care (LTC) settings.
She investigates how systems-level strategies—such as staff education, clinical decision-making tools, and interdisciplinary teamwork—can improve care for people living with life-limiting illness and those nearing end of life.
Dr. Durepos examines the influence of organizational structures and policies on the delivery of palliative approaches, especially in under-resourced or overlooked settings like LTC.
Her work is dedicated to developing scalable, evidence-informed interventions that normalize early conversations around symptom management and support the delivery of compassionate, person-centered care in the context of chronic illness.
The Faculty of Nursing at the University of New Brunswick and the Systems Thinking for Health Innovation Lab are seeking graduate students to join a dynamic program of research focused on healthcare system transformation.
Our research addresses complex challenges in health service delivery, with a focus on primary care access and system navigation for newcomers, people experiencing homelessness and young people facing structural barriers.
Using systems-thinking methodologies and conceptual frameworks including the Functional Resonance Analysis Method (FRAM) and the Rainbow Model of Integrated Care we aim to co-design more equitable, coordinated and integrated models of care for vulnerable populations in New Brunswick.
Graduate students will:
Eligibility:
Funded positions are available for thesis-based Master’s and PhD students enrolled in:
Ideal candidates are self-motivated, strong communicators and passionate about improving health systems.
Email a cover letter and your CV on or before August 30, 2025, to Dr. Ali McGill at a.mcgill@unb.ca.
