Michaela Pascoe

Michaela Pascoe is a Senior Research Fellow in the Department of General Practice at Monash University, specializing in mental health, mindfulness, and lifestyle interventions. Her research focuses on mind-body interactions, particularly stress-mood relationships, and the therapeutic potential of exercise and mindfulness practices. She explores topics such as the mental health of athletes transitioning out of elite sports, barriers to exercise in chronic pain populations, and digital health interventions for health promotion.

Research Interests:

• Mental health and well-being across diverse populations, including female athletes and individuals with chronic pain
• Mindfulness-based interventions and their physiological impacts
• Physical activity as a therapeutic tool for depression and anxiety
• Psychosocial factors influencing health behaviors in youth and marginalized groups
• Design of scalable mental health interventions using digital platforms

Recent Trends in Publications:

Recent work emphasizes the intersection of physical activity and mental health outcomes, particularly in vulnerable groups such as elite athletes post-retirement and individuals with chronic pain. Methodologically, she employs mixed-methods approaches, systematic reviews, and randomized controlled trials to evaluate intervention efficacy. Her research also addresses practical implementation challenges in healthcare settings, such as optimizing waitlist management and integrating mindfulness programs into schools.

Advising & Grants:

Accepting PhD students since 2011, her work has been supported by institutional collaborations and grants focused on lifestyle medicine and mental health policy. She actively participates in interdisciplinary teams addressing UN Sustainable Development Goals related to health equity and well-being.