Meet Our Team
Dr. Caroline Sanders (co-lead)
Associate Professor, School of Nursing, UNBC
Dr. Caroline Sanders, MBE is an Associate Professor and Registered Nurse in the School of Nursing at UNBC. Her research interests stem from her longstanding nursing career in the UK and lie in applied methods focused on rare conditions across the lifespan, specifically intersex, and research focused on early childhood (0-8yrs) with vulnerable populations. Caroline is a Human Early Learning (HELP) Affiliate with UBC, which is dedicated to improving the health and well-being of children through their work and partnerships. Caroline has served in a range of roles within the academic and wider community and values the opportunity to maintain clinical skills in practice, focusing on building partnerships with families and providers.
Erica Koopmans (co-lead)
Child Health BC Regional Coordinator - Northern Health, Provincial Health Services Authority
Erica is passionate about strengthening community partnerships to support healthy childhood development and taking collaborative approaches to health service design and delivery that foster health equity for children and families in BC. Erica works in the health system, leading system planning and quality initiatives for children 0-18 across the continuum of care from upstream public health and prevention through acute services. She is a Health Sciences PhD Candidate at the University of Northern British Columbia. Her research interests are focused on integrated care for children and families, health equity, and social determinants of health. Erica lives, learns, and supports care on the unceded, ancestral lands of the Lheidli T’enneh Nation.
Lance Potskin (co-lead)
Field Supervisor, Research & Knowledge Exchange, First Nations Health Authority
I am a member of the Driftpile Cree Nation living on the unceded, ancestral lands of the Lheidli T’enneh Nation. My best days are spent with my wife and children laughing, playing, learning, and having fun with them for as long as they will let me. Prior to my current role with First Nations Health Authority I worked as an Indigenous Education Coordinator using extracurricular sports to increase student connectedness to school. I am passionate about Indigenous sport mentorship, using a collective approach and inclusive perspective in all endeavors working to empower youth to broaden their opportunities in life.
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Lisa Provencher (co-lead)
Manager of Surveys, Research and Knowledge Exchange, First Nations Health Authority
Lisa lives on the unceded, ancestral lands of the Lheidli T’enneh Nation and is a white settler with Scottish, Irish and English roots. Lisa brings years of experience working with families within Northern Health Authority and School District #57 and equity deserving folks at low barrier shelters and community outreach. Currently, Lisa serves the First Nations Health Authority focusing on health and wellness research. Lisa’s research interests are centered on the transition to kindergarten, educational equity in early years, and health and wellness in British Columbia. She subverts the typical script of requiring children to be ready for school, and rather advocates that schools should be ready for all children. She brings a trauma-informed approach with specific expertise supporting Indigenous children and families. A strong advocate for community involvement, Lisa has volunteered with Big Brothers Big Sisters as both a mentor and a board member, demonstrating a commitment to guiding and supporting youth. She currently serves as the board chair for the Carney Hill Neighbourhood Centre Network Society where she champion initiatives that promote community connections. With a deep-rooted belief in the principle that “all children are ‘our’ children,” Lisa is committed to the power of community collaboration.