Together with the Centre for Rural and Northern Health Research (CRaNHR) at Lakehead University, Michelle developed a network of rural health and policy researchers and practitioners to explore several questions: 

• What does it mean to be a socially just health researcher or practitioner? 
• How can we develop more relational, caring, and socially engaged health practitioners?
• What educational strategies and community learning resources do rural health researchers, practitioners, and educators need?
• How should we mentor and support new rural health researchers?

Michelle’s work supports community engagement and is based in a relational epistemology, as well as post-colonial, critical health, and feminist theories. She established a research/educational team within the CRaNHR group at Lakehead University and supports provincial, national, and international researchers and theorists.