Erynne Sjoblom

Erynne Sjoblom is a settler Canadian of European descent who was born in Fort Nelson and grew up in Fort St. John, on Treaty 8 territory in northern British Columbia. For more than 15 years, she has worked with Indigenous organizations in community-driven health research, policy, health promotion, and evaluation. She holds a Master of Science in Community Health Sciences from the University of Manitoba and is currently a doctoral student in epidemiology and biostatistics at the University of Alberta.

Erynne understands her role as one of a helper who goes where she is asked or invited, and who works in support of Indigenous-led priorities. Much of her work has been qualitative and relational, grounded in community-based approaches, long-term relationships, and accountability to the communities and organizations that invite her to work alongside them. Her recent work has been more quantitative, focusing on co-designing and co-developing measures, programs, and evaluation approaches that are meaningful to those communities and organizations. This includes examining the health impacts of exposure to natural disasters and public health crises (COVID-19, wildfires, and floods), supporting Indigenous data sovereignty, and generating evidence to inform culturally rooted health promotion.

Erynne has also contributed to research on First Nations understandings of disability and exceptionality, including work that highlights how First Nations adults living with disabilities navigate colonial and ableist systemic barriers within health, social, and service systems.

Across these roles, Erynne aims to translate community-driven wellness needs and priorities into action, while supporting approaches to research, policy, and practice that are relational, culturally grounded, and accountable to Indigenous communities.