Sam Filipenko, MPH (he/him) is a non-Indigenous person of White-settler ancestry. He was born and raised on unceded and occupied Musqueam territory, but he spent the last decade living and working in Tkaronto (Toronto) – the traditional territories of many nations, including the Anishnaabe, the Haudenosaunee, and the Huron-Wendat. Sam obtained a Bachelors of Science degree in Biochemistry from the University of British Columbia and a Masters of Public Health degree in Social and Behavioural Health Sciences from the University of Toronto. He has significant experience working in applied Indigenous research contexts – previously working on Indigenous-led projects to evaluate and improve the cultural safety of urban hospitals.
Sam is committed to transforming research practices and policies to encompass the priorities, experiences, and protocols of First Nations, Inuit, and Métis peoples, and he's been taught that decolonizing research practices requires us all to hold a piece of the puzzle.