Faculty profile

Peter Stilwell

ResearcherInterdisciplinary StudiesMcGill University

This profile is built from public research funding records (CIHR, NSERC and SSHRC) and PubMed. We have not imported them from a McGill University directory, so their courses may be missing. Find their university profile.

Peter Stilwell

Researcher

Interdisciplinary Studies

Social Sciences and Humanities

McGill University

Montreal, Quebec, Canada

Supervision signals

Has led research grants, which requires an independent research appointment. Ask their department whether they supervise graduate students.
18 publications in the last five years, latest in 2026.
Senior (last) author on 1 recent paper, a sign of leading a research group.
Principal investigator on 1 research grant (1 SSHRC), most recently in 2023.

These signals come from public records, including CIHR, NSERC and SSHRC funding decisions. Ask the professor or the graduate program whether they are taking new students.

Academic metrics

Publications

Citations

Collaborators

Grants

Publications by year

Counts cover the publications linked to this profile. Citations and the h-index appear when the source records them.

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Signals and details

Research

Qualitative Pain Suffering Selfhood Minimal-self Narrative-self Phenomenology Narrative

Latest papers

"Guidelines… yeah, they just haven't felt relevant to me." A qualitative exploration of chiropractors' perspectives on physical activity promotion.
Journal of back and musculoskeletal rehabilitation · 2026 · senior author
When the Social Foundations of the World are Disrupted: An Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis of Suffering in Pain and Stress Among Individuals Living with Chronic Pain.
Journal of pain research · 2026
Pain Beliefs in the Military: A Qualitative Study Exploring the Perspectives of Instructors Within the Canadian Armed Forces on How Pain Is Addressed in Basic Training and the Broader Military Culture.
Canadian journal of pain = Revue canadienne de la douleur · 2026

All 19 publications

Latest funding

Understanding the roles of self and society in pain-related suffering and empowering people living with pain to shape novel research on their lived experience.
SSHRC · 2023 · Principal investigator
$69,785

All 1 grants and awards

19 publications.

"Guidelines… yeah, they just haven't felt relevant to me." A qualitative exploration of chiropractors' perspectives on physical activity promotion.

Fernandez M, Di K, Pinheiro M, de Luca K, Hebert J, Stilwell P

Journal of back and musculoskeletal rehabilitation2026Senior author

DOI: 10.1177/10538127251350848 PMID: 40534412

When the Social Foundations of the World are Disrupted: An Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis of Suffering in Pain and Stress Among Individuals Living with Chronic Pain.

Gagnon-Mailhot M, Stilwell P, Côté CI, Wideman TH, Pagé MG

Journal of pain research2026

DOI: 10.2147/jpr.s631772 PMID: 42801149

Pain Beliefs in the Military: A Qualitative Study Exploring the Perspectives of Instructors Within the Canadian Armed Forces on How Pain Is Addressed in Basic Training and the Broader Military Culture.

Gagnon-Mailhot M, Stilwell P, Pagé MG, Speirs D, Le Scelleur H, Wideman TH

Canadian journal of pain = Revue canadienne de la douleur2026

DOI: 10.1080/24740527.2026.2682925 PMID: 42529771

Development of a pain management competency assessment for physiotherapy students: Integrating simulation and written assessments

Augeard N, Miller J, Bostick G, St-Onge C, Tousignant-Laflamme Y, Hudon A, Walton D, Singer L, Cooper L, Bussières A

Canadian Journal of Pain20254 citations

DOI: 10.1080/24740527.2025.2512728

Developing consensus among people living with pain on what health professionals should know about their lived experiences.

Houston E, Stilwell P, Cooper L, Singer L, Bostick G, Bussières A, Amari F, Wideman TH

Disability and rehabilitation2025

DOI: 10.1080/09638288.2025.2481980 PMID: 40178113

When pain overwhelms the self: A phenomenological study of a new mode of suffering, based on adults' recollections of their worst pain episodes.

Stilwell P, Gagnon-Mailhot M, Hudon A, McIntyre V, Meldrum K, Pagé MG, Gallagher S, Wideman TH

The journal of pain2025First author

DOI: 10.1016/j.jpain.2025.105413 PMID: 40320227

'Before and After'. The Journey of Patients With Low Back Pain Consulting in Elective Spine Surgery Clinics. A Qualitative Study Protocol.

Fernandez M, Lees D, de Luca K, Dane D, Stilwell P, McKenna L, Tampin B, Bulsara C, Pincus T, Kendell M

Health expectations : an international journal of public participation in health care and health policy2025

DOI: 10.1111/hex.70301 PMID: 40391814

On "Fragility and Back Pain: Lessons From the Frontiers of Biopsychosocial Practice." Nicholls DA. Phys Ther. 2023;103:pzad040. https://doi.org/10.1093/ptj/pzad040.

Stilwell P, Harman K, Coninx S, Vaz D

Physical therapy2024First author

DOI: 10.1093/ptj/pzad170 PMID: 38102761

Defining pain-related suffering requires partnership with people living with pain and careful critical thought: a commentary on the proposed definition by Noe-Steinmüller et al.

Wideman TH, Stilwell P, Gagnon-Mailhot M, Hudon A, Meldrum K, McIntyre V, Pagé MG, Gallagher S

Pain2024

DOI: 10.1097/j.pain.0000000000003367 PMID: 39284042

Interprofessional collaboration between health professional learners when breaking bad news: a scoping review of teaching approaches.

Lackie K, Miller S, Brown M, Mireault A, Helwig M, Beatty L, Picketts L, Stilwell P, Houk S

JBI evidence synthesis2024

DOI: 10.11124/jbies-22-00437 PMID: 38328948

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Applying for

Paper to mentionMention their SSHRC grant from 2023

Subject: Prospective PhD student: Qualitative Dear Professor Stilwell, My name is [your name], and I am a [your current degree or role] at [your institution]. I am applying for a PhD position starting in [term and year]. I read your paper ""Guidelines… yeah, they just haven't felt relevant to me." A qualitative exploration of chiropractors' perspectives on physical activity promotion." (2026), and it connects closely to my own work on [your research topic]. [One or two sentences on what you did and what you learned.] I also saw your SSHRC-funded project "Understanding the roles of self and society in pain-related suffering and empowering people living with pain to shape novel research on their lived experience." (2023), and I would be glad to contribute to work in that direction. Are you accepting new PhD students for [term and year]? I have attached my CV and transcripts, and I would be glad to talk at a time that suits you. Thank you for your time. Kind regards, [your name]

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Peter Stilwell

Research

Latest papers

Latest funding

"Guidelines… yeah, they just haven't felt relevant to me." A qualitative exploration of chiropractors' perspectives on physical activity promotion.

When the Social Foundations of the World are Disrupted: An Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis of Suffering in Pain and Stress Among Individuals Living with Chronic Pain.

Pain Beliefs in the Military: A Qualitative Study Exploring the Perspectives of Instructors Within the Canadian Armed Forces on How Pain Is Addressed in Basic Training and the Broader Military Culture.

Development of a pain management competency assessment for physiotherapy students: Integrating simulation and written assessments

Developing consensus among people living with pain on what health professionals should know about their lived experiences.

When pain overwhelms the self: A phenomenological study of a new mode of suffering, based on adults' recollections of their worst pain episodes.

'Before and After'. The Journey of Patients With Low Back Pain Consulting in Elective Spine Surgery Clinics. A Qualitative Study Protocol.

On "Fragility and Back Pain: Lessons From the Frontiers of Biopsychosocial Practice." Nicholls DA. Phys Ther. 2023;103:pzad040. https://doi.org/10.1093/ptj/pzad040.

Defining pain-related suffering requires partnership with people living with pain and careful critical thought: a commentary on the proposed definition by Noe-Steinmüller et al.

Interprofessional collaboration between health professional learners when breaking bad news: a scoping review of teaching approaches.

Understanding the roles of self and society in pain-related suffering and empowering people living with pain to shape novel research on their lived experience.

Frequent collaborators

Anne Hudon

David Walton

Kadija Perreault

Aliki Thomas

Jordan Miller

Lisa Carlesso

Lesley Singer

Jennifer Lane

Sinead Dufour

Lynn Cooper

Christina St-Onge

Peter Stilwell

Research

Latest papers

Latest funding

"Guidelines&#x2026; yeah, they just haven't felt relevant to me." A qualitative exploration of chiropractors' perspectives on physical activity promotion.

When the Social Foundations of the World are Disrupted: An Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis of Suffering in Pain and Stress Among Individuals Living with Chronic Pain.

Pain Beliefs in the Military: A Qualitative Study Exploring the Perspectives of Instructors Within the Canadian Armed Forces on How Pain Is Addressed in Basic Training and the Broader Military Culture.

Development of a pain management competency assessment for physiotherapy students: Integrating simulation and written assessments

Developing consensus among people living with pain on what health professionals should know about their lived experiences.

When pain overwhelms the self: A phenomenological study of a new mode of suffering, based on adults' recollections of their worst pain episodes.

'Before and After'. The Journey of Patients With Low Back Pain Consulting in Elective Spine Surgery Clinics. A Qualitative Study Protocol.

On "Fragility and Back Pain: Lessons From the Frontiers of Biopsychosocial Practice." Nicholls DA. Phys Ther. 2023;103:pzad040. https://doi.org/10.1093/ptj/pzad040.

Defining pain-related suffering requires partnership with people living with pain and careful critical thought: a commentary on the proposed definition by Noe-Steinm&#xfc;ller et al.

Interprofessional collaboration between health professional learners when breaking bad news: a scoping review of teaching approaches.

Understanding the roles of self and society in pain-related suffering and empowering people living with pain to shape novel research on their lived experience.

Frequent collaborators

Anne Hudon

David Walton

Kadija Perreault

Aliki Thomas

Jordan Miller

Lisa Carlesso

Lesley Singer

Jennifer Lane

Sinead Dufour

Lynn Cooper

Christina St-Onge

"Guidelines… yeah, they just haven't felt relevant to me." A qualitative exploration of chiropractors' perspectives on physical activity promotion.

Defining pain-related suffering requires partnership with people living with pain and careful critical thought: a commentary on the proposed definition by Noe-Steinmüller et al.