Team & Governance
A broad range of experts, scholars, community members, and students with diverse connections.
UPROOT Team and Indigenous Governance
The UPROOT Team
The project team is fortunate to be based on a deep foundation of collaborative and productive partnerships. The team is composed of a broad range of experts, scholars, community members, and students with diverse connections to Indigenous Nations across Canada. Collectively, the team has adopted the name UPROOT, symbolizing what, how, and why we are doing this work.
Our team acknowledges the work we do may be within a colonial structure, but we hold a commitment to practice in a manner of mutual respect, responsibility, relevance, and reciprocity throughout, prioritizing relationships above all. Some relationships among the team members have existed for more than 10 years.
The UPROOT Governance Consists of the Following Groups
The ISAC reports to the IAC and consists of Indigenous and a select number of non-Indigenous students. As future graduates and care providers from various Indigenous groups across Canada, this committee offers a unique and valuable perspective to the team.
Community Partners
UPROOT benefits from a diverse group of Indigenous partners across BC representing different Nations and areas of knowledge. Partners include members from urban, rural, and remote communities and contribute meaningfully in various ways as part of the UPROOT team.
Indigenous Advisory Committee (IAC)
The IAC consists of both Indigenous and non-Indigenous expert representatives who oversee all aspects of UPROOT. These community partners are respected leaders and decision-makers with different BC First Nations and have had previous collaborations with Larry and Jason.
Indigenous Student Advisory Committee (ISAC)
The ISAC reports to the IAC and consists of Indigenous and a select number of non-Indigenous students. As future graduates and care providers from various Indigenous groups across Canada, this committee offers a unique and valuable perspective to the team.
Indigenous Pharmacy Student Collegium (IPSC)
The IPSC is a student-led social club that aims to provide self-identified Indigenous students, across all four years of the Entry-to-Practice PharmD program, a safe space to engage with others and participate in cultural immersion activities.
Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences, UBC
Jason Min and Larry Leung are with the Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences and are the leads from UBC. As non-Indigenous advocates, their experience, dedication, and passion for Indigenous individuals, families, and communities are primary motivators in the pursuit of decolonizing and Indigenizing the pharmacy curriculum.
Undergraduate Academic Assistants (UAA)
The UAAs are self-identified Indigenous or non-Indigenous students that participate as active team members in assisting with project deliverables.
Current Team
Jason Min
Faculty Lead
Dr. Jason Min is an Associate Professor of Teaching at the Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences at the University of British Columbia. Over the past 10 years, his research and scholarly interests have focused on Indigenous health, pharmacy informatics, and interprofessional care. His recent work includes the collaborative development of a new Indigenous Cultural Safety course for pharmacy students and the building of a national Academic Electronic Health Record system. As a pharmacist, Jason’s diverse and unique clinical practices included outpatient team-based primary care settings, rural/remote interprofessional care with Indigenous communities, and specialty outpatient clinics for complex, chronic, and medication-intensive conditions. Jason’s passion for teaching in the undergraduate PharmD program has been recognized with numerous teaching awards.
Larry Leung
Faculty Lead
Dr. Larry Leung is an Associate Professor of Teaching at the Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences, UBC. He is a Chinese Canadian currently working on the ancestral and unceded territories of the Musqueam people. Larry has had the privilege of working with Indigenous communities across British Columbia since 2010 and has built strong and reciprocal relationships with his partners. As a non-Indigenous educator, he currently serves as course coordinator of a first-year seminars course, co-coordinator of mandatory and elective Indigenous health and cultural safety courses, Interprofessional Education co-lead, and co-lead for the Neurology Module. As a pharmacist, Larry has had the opportunity to work directly with Indigenous patients and care providers in the building of pharmacy services.
Tenzing Sedonla Ukyab Lama
Graduate Academic Assistant
Tenzing Sedonla Ukyab Lama is an MA student at UBC in Critical Curatorial Studies program, focusing on Himalayan contemporary arts and antiquities. She is a community organizer and has worked on several projects in the Himalayan Region. She has also assisted in several exhibition projects, including the Kathmandu Triennale 2077 edition and the Pavilion of Nepal at the 59th Venice Biennale as a Curatorial Assistant. Born in Nepal, she now resides on the unceded territory of the Musqueam Nation.
Olivia Yeung
Graduate Academic Assistant
Olivia is a second-year student in the Master of Landscape Architecture program. She obtained her HBA in Architecture at the University of Toronto which has been the traditional land of the Huron-Wendat, the Seneca, and most recently, the Mississaugas of the Credit. She now studies and resides on the shared, unceded territories of the Squamish, Musqueam, and Tsleil-Waututh people. Olivia is eager to advocate for the decolonization of pharmacy education and to observe the intersection of UPROOT’s work and her own education. On weekends, you can find Olivia watching cooking videos or reading a novel.
Naila Ali
Undergraduate Academic Assistant
Naila is entering her second year of the PharmD program at the University of British Columbia, and resides on the unceded territory of the Coast Salish Nations. Prior to entering the PharmD program, she studied Integrated Sciences with a focus on Psychology and Physiology at UBC. Driven by a passion for exploring indigenous health and traditional medicine, Naila aspires to advocate for health equity and cultural safety among marginalized communities through her involvement with UPROOT. In her leisure time, she enjoys running, a good book, and catching a basketball game.
Katie Arisz
Undergraduate Academic Assistant
Katie is a first-year PharmD student who is originally from the Netherlands but grew up in New Brunswick, Canada, and now currently studies and resides on the ancestral and unceded territories of the Musqueam people. She obtained her BSc. from McGill University on the traditional territory of Kanien’kehà:ka in Tiohtiá:ke/Montreal. Alongside her work on the UPROOT team, Katie is eager to learn more about and integrate Indigenous cultural, medical, and spiritual knowledge into her education towards becoming a health professional. Outside of studying and working, Katie enjoys running marathons and baking delicious and wholesome recipes!
Kadence Cave
Undergraduate Academic Assistant
Kadence is a first-year student in the Indigenous Teacher Education Program NITEP. She is Heiltsuk (Bella Bella) but grew up on the unceded territories of the Sḵwx̱wú7mesh(Squamish), xʷməθkʷəy̓əm (Musqueam), and səlilwətaɬ (Tsleil-Waututh) People. Kadence is passionate about pursuing her career as an Indigenous educator, having the opportunity to work alongside the UPROOT team and be an advocate in the path that moves towards reconciliation. Outside of school and work, Kadence whole-heartedly pours her love into raising her son Kolter while creating and selling her handmade beadwork.
Tyler Floen
Undergraduate Academic Assistant
Tyler is entering his second year of the PharmD program at the University of British Columbia and previously obtained his BSc in Chemistry from Thompson Rivers University. He was raised on the unceded territory of the Tkʼemlúps te Secwépemc (Kamloops, BC) and currently resides and studies on the unceded territory of the Musqueam Nation. While working with the UPROOT team, Tyler is excited about integrating Indigenous cultures and practices into pharmacy education, as well as engaging with Indigenous communities to help promote and advocate for culturally safe healthcare. In his free time, Tyler enjoys playing music, hiking, and engaging in recreational sports.
Meghan Houston
Undergraduate Academic Assistant
Meghan is entering her second year of the PharmD program at UBC, where she previously obtained her BSc in Biology. She was raised on the unceded territories of the Musqueam people and is privileged to continue to live and learn on these lands. Meghan looks forward to joining the UPROOT team in advocating for the decolonization of both pharmacy practice and education, as well as working towards the implementation of culturally safe healthcare. In her free time, Meghan enjoys spending time with her friends and family, and being outside as much as possible.
Ryan Knowles
Undergraduate Academic Assistant
Ryan Knowles was born as an Eagle and a part of the Haida nation. He was raised between Old Massett on the northern part of Haida Gwaii and Prince George, where he connected with both his family and traditional spirituality. Ryan is currently a part of the Entry-to-Practice PharmD program at UBC. He hopes one day to go back to his community and create a collaborative care-based setting with a focus on traditional, emotional, and spiritual healing. Ryan currently resides on the ancestral and unceded territories of the xʷməθkʷəy̓əm (Musqueam), Sḵwx̱wú7mesh(Squamish), and səlilwətaɬ (Tsleil-Waututh). Ryan is excited to share his experience and passion whilst working towards more culturally safe and appropriate care with the UPROOT team. When not working, Ryan engages in walking, drawing, painting, and engraving.
Emma Mills
Undergraduate Academic Assistant
Emma is a second-year PharmD student at the University of British Columbia and obtained her B.Sc. in Biology from Vancouver Island University. She grew up in Northern Alberta and is part of the Métis Nation. She now resides on the unceded territory of the Musqueam Nation. Emma is invested in Indigenous health and hopes to pursue a pharmacy career, focusing on Indigenous healthcare and wellbeing. She is looking forward to connecting with Indigenous communities and joining UPROOT in their goal to decolonize pharmacy education. In her free time, Emma enjoys birdwatching along the ocean and trying new restaurants.
Madi Runa
Undergraduate Academic Assistant
Madison is currently a PharmD student at UBC residing on the unceded land of the Musqueam Nation. She is of Mixed European and Cree background and was raised on the unceded Syilx territory in Kelowna, BC. While working alongside the UPROOT team, Madison hopes to promote Indigenous health, equity, and wellbeing and continue this work as a future pharmacist. She is excited for the opportunity to learn more about how pharmacists can help in decolonizing healthcare. In her free time, she can be found hiking, baking, or learning to knit!
Alumni
Brittany King
Brina Kim
Idaylia Swanson
Jessie Li
Nailah King-Hopkins
Emma Young
Tuskonne Blais
Mojan Fazelipour
Lindsay Ellefson
Lindsay Swanson
Brandon Whitmore
Tia De Groot