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Dr. Melissa MacKay is an assistant professor in public health in the Department of Population Medicine at the University of Guelph. She holds a Master of Public Health and a PhD in Public Health from the University of Guelph. A public health scholar-practitioner, MacKay has extensive experience in health communication, knowledge mobilization, and public health education. Her career has included roles in academia, local public health units, non-profit organizations, and private-sector consultancies. Previously, she served as a faculty member in Interdisciplinary Studies at Conestoga College and as an instructor for the Master of Public Health program at the University of Guelph. MacKay completed postdoctoral fellowships at the University of Guelph in the Health by Design Lab, focusing on public health communication competencies and climate adaptation, as well as at the Centre for International Governance Innovation, exploring the responsible use of generative AI in public health. Dr. MacKay's research interests encompass health crisis risk communication, governance of generative AI in public health, and public health pedagogy. She aims to enhance public trust through effective communication and policy health promotion. Additionally, she examines strategies to ensure trustworthiness in the use of generative AI while catering health messages to diverse populations. Her work tackles challenges such as misinformation in health communication and emphasizes knowledge mobilization to ensure that research findings inform public health policy and practice.
Department of Clinical Studies. Offers MSc by thesis (2 years) and MSc by coursework (1 year).