Person with Lived Experience
University of Ottawa Heart Institute, Canada
Sheila Gariepy, M.A.
In her work as a patient partner, Sheila Gariepy is committed to engaging with clinicians and researchers to ensure that their approaches consider patient perspectives and priorities. Since 2021, Sheila has drawn on her lived experience as a cardiac patient in her contributions as a patient partner, primarily with the University of Ottawa Heart Institute (UOHI), TRANSFORM HF (University Health Network, Toronto) and the Brain-Heart Interconnectome (BHI).
Sheila brings a collaborative, analytical and compassionate approach to her engagement as a patient partner. She draws on her professional experience leading policy development, program delivery and outreach initiatives with the federal public service, and her volunteer experience supporting low-income seniors.
Sheila has co-created training for clinical and biomedical researchers on meaningful patient engagement, and resource guides for researchers and patient partners with TRANSFORM HF. She has contributed a patient’s perspective to clinical care and research coordination committees, and co-created patient education materials with UOHI. She has worked with researchers on a variety of clinical and non-clinical projects through all stages, from drafting funding proposals to communicating research results and implications. Sheila has also served on peer review panels for grant competitions with TRANSFORM HF and the BHI.
Sheila holds a Master of Arts in Political Science (Carleton University), a B.A. Hon. in Politics and Economics (Queen’s University), and has training in social science research methodologies, peer navigation, communications and Indigenous cultural sensitivity.