Dr Michelle Ploughman (née Hurley), Canada Research Chair in Neuroplasticity, Neurorehabilitation and Brain Recovery, and Professor of Medicine at Memorial University of Newfoundland, died on April 2, 2026 at the age of 59 after a courageous battle with breast cancer.
Dr Ploughman completed her Bachelor of Physiotherapy at Dalhousie University in 1988 before spending fifteen years as a clinical physiotherapist in St John’s, Newfoundland and Labrador. She became Clinical Practice Leader in Neuroscience at Eastern Health, where she cared for patients recovering from a wide range of neurological conditions. It was through her years of clinical practice that she recognised many areas of neurorehabilitation lacked the evidence base needed to improve patient outcomes. Determined to change that reality, she returned to Memorial University, earning an MSc in 2003, a PhD in Neuroscience in 2007, and later completing a postdoctoral fellowship in 2012. Her master’s work examined constraint-induced therapy after stroke; her doctoral research investigated the effects of exercise on neuroplasticity and stroke recovery; and her postdoctoral fellowship, funded by Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR), explored the role of health, lifestyle, and ageing in multiple sclerosis. In 2014, Dr Ploughman established the Recovery and Performance Laboratory at the L.A. Miller Centre, creating Newfoundland and Labrador’s first comprehensive rehabilitation research programme.
Under her leadership, the laboratory grew into Memorial University’s largest clinical research group, and Dr Ploughman became an internationally respected leader in advancing the science of neuroplasticity and intensive rehabilitation for patients living post-stroke and with multiple sclerosis. Her research spanned several clinical rehabilitation trials, advanced brain stimulation techniques (including transcranial magnetic stimulation and functional neuroimaging using near-infrared spectroscopy), instrumented movement analysis, robotics-assisted rehabilitation and large-scale epidemiology and health services research. Among her many landmark contributions, she served as Principal Investigator of the Canadian Survey of Health, Lifestyle and Aging with Multiple Sclerosis, the largest study of its kind in Canada of over 700 older Canadians living with MS. She also led the Health Innovation Team in Multiple Sclerosis, a decade-long longitudinal study that followed hundreds of people living with multiple sclerosis across Newfoundland and Labrador. Dr Ploughman was also a staunch advocate for diversity in science, having led investigations of sex differences supporting a more nuanced understanding of multiple sclerosis, and her mentorship extended well beyond Canada as she would consistently take in new trainees from multiple countries and cultural backgrounds. She was also a visionary advocate for integrating technologies into rehabilitation practice, and led the use of robotics in stroke rehabilitation research and in practice in the province.
Throughout her distinguished career, Dr Ploughman published more than 100 peer-reviewed scientific articles, secured millions of dollars in competitive research funding and served on numerous national and international scientific committees. Beyond academia, she was deeply committed to her community, including her longstanding involvement with the Brain Injury Association of Newfoundland and Labrador, where she served as Acting President for more than a decade.
Yet, if asked what accomplishment made her most proud, she would always talk about all her students. During her career, over 150 trainees had the immense privilege of working in her laboratory and getting to learn from her. For so many of us, she was far more than a researcher, professor, clinician or supervisor. Whether you met her in a classroom, a laboratory, a clinic or a conference room, she would make anyone feel encouraged, supported and capable of something greater. She saw potential where others saw limitations, invested in people long before results were visible, and celebrated others’ success as though it were her own. When people would comment on all the students in her lab, she would simply smile and say “I just like helping them get to where they need to go.” She believed deeply in her students before they believed in themselves, challenged us to think critically and encouraged us to ask meaningful questions. She always taught that impactful science begins with curiosity, compassion and a desire to improve the lives of others. Her trainees are now leaders across various areas of clinical practice, academia and public service, yet they remain connected by the foundation she built: a shared commitment to excellence, humility, collaboration, compassion and improving the lives of patients.
“You have brains in your head. You have feet in your shoes. You can steer yourself any direction you choose. Oh, the places you’ll go.” – Dr Seuss
Many of us remember Michelle sharing these words often. They were more than a favourite quote – they reflected her view on mentorship and teaching. She believed every student was on their own journey, and that her role wasn’t to determine the destination, but to provide the confidence, knowledge and support to help each person find their own path. The places her students have gone will forever stand as one of her greatest legacies.
She is survived by her husband Jim and her sons Luke and Sean. We will all miss her deeply.
