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Samaneh Farahani is the 2025 Recipient of the Michael Decter Scholarship for Health Leadership and Policy Studies
Samaneh Farahani has been awarded the 2025 Michael Decter Scholarship
SE Health is proud to announce that Samaneh Farahani, a dedicated researcher and educator in elderly care and staffing, has been awarded the 2025 Michael Decter Scholarship for Health Leadership and Policy Studies. This prestigious annual scholarship recognizes exemplary graduate students in health leadership or policy who are committed to driving meaningful improvements in Canadian healthcare.
Samaneh holds a Bachelor’s degree in Public Health Management from Tehran University of Medical Sciences, a second Bachelor’s degree in Health Service Management, and a Master’s in Health Administration from Toronto Metropolitan University, specializing in community care. She is currently a PhD candidate in Health Policy at McMaster University, reflecting her deep commitment to health system innovation and evidence-based policy.
Her passion for elderly care and workforce support was profoundly shaped during the COVID-19 pandemic, which highlighted the critical gaps in care delivery and staff support affecting older adults. Guided by the belief that “whatever we do for our elderly today shapes our own future and the future of those we love,” Samaneh has dedicated her research and advocacy to improving conditions for both patients and those who care for them.
As a member of the OnSPARK (Ontario Supporting Partnerships to Advance Care and Knowledge) research team at St. Joseph’s Healthcare Hamilton, Centre for Integrated Care, Samaneh bridges complex health data with actionable, policy-relevant insights. Her work focuses on linking staffing conditions to patient outcomes, with the goal of informing policies that prioritize workforce stability, preventive care, and the effective use of resources in community and long-term care settings.
Samaneh is also an educator at Toronto Metropolitan University. She empowers future health leaders by teaching big data analytics, coding, and applied health information, translating complex data into practical insights for continuous health system improvement.
Please join us in congratulating Samaneh Farahani on this remarkable achievement. Her dedication to advancing elderly care and health workforce policy exemplifies the spirit and vision of the Michael Decter Scholarship.
About the Michael Decter Scholarship for Health Leadership and Policy Studies
About the Michael Decter Scholarship for Health Leadership and Policy Studies:
SE Health announces the scholarship every fall with the application submission deadline in November. For more information on the scholarship please contact:
learninganddevelopment@sehc.com.
Watch Samaneh’s Video