Saman is a passionate public health professional who applies foundational knowledge, frontline experience, and research background to work towards reducing health disparities on a population health level. 

She graduated from Wilfrid Laurier University with a Bachelor’s of Health Science with a minor in Biology and Psychology. She then went on to pursue her Master’s in Public Health from McMaster University. Saman has extensive research experience, with areas of focus ranging from understanding how youth attitudes towards death relate to death anxiety, locus of control, and support for euthanasia, to maternal health and health impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic. Selected work has been peer reviewed and published in journals such as The British Medical Journal and the Journal of Paediatric and Perinatal Epidemiology. 

Throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, Saman worked frontline with the Public Health Agency of Canada in various capacities to ensure compliance and enforcement of public health guidelines for individuals who were travelling in and out of the country. These experiences highlighted the disproportionate impact of the pandemic on already marginzalized populations, and a fragmented system that would benefit from a cohesive capacity to address such emerging issues.    

Saman brings this integrated public health perspective and personal lived experience to her work at The Lab, where she leads initiatives, such as the Neighbours project, to improve the health of communities with a population health lens. Saman enjoys taking creative approaches to problem solving and brings a unique perspective, thoughtful intention, and positive energy into all the work she does.