EDI Team and Resources

Dr. Samim is a Canadian and American Board Certified specialist in Oral Medicine & Oral and Maxillofacial Pathology. She received her DMD from Shiraz University of Medical Science in Iran and went on to complete the Oral Medicine & Oral Pathology residency program at UBC. She also completed her MSc in Craniofacial focusing on the oral health of the vulnerable population and children attending inner-city schools.

Prior to arriving at McGill, Dr. Samim was actively involved at UBC as Clinical Assistant Professor in the Faculty of Dentistry and in the oral oncology group with the Department of Oral Oncology/Dentistry at the British Columbia Cancer Agency. She has published several papers focusing on oral mucositis and oral care in cancer patients. Dr. Samim also was a Clinical Assistant Professor and Research Coordinator at Memorial University.

Among her major accomplishments is the establishment of the first oral oncology clinic in Newfoundland and Labardor, the fruits of a collaboration between Dr. Samim, the NL Dental Board, the NL Dental Association and the government of NL and the Eastern Health Authority.

As chair of the Faculty of Dental Medicine and Oral Health Sciences' EDI Committee, Dr. Samim will ensure the Faculty takes the necessary steps to implement actionable goals and concrete plans towards building a more equitable, diverse, and inclusive culture in the Faculty of Dental Medicine and Oral Health Sciences.

Anita Brown-Johnson was Chief of Family Medicine at the MUHC in 2021, following seven years as Associate Chief. As a Member of the Board of Directors of the MUHC, Dr. Brown-Johnson shares her vast experience in quality assurance, accreditation, ethics, education and collaborative care for patients with complex care needs throughout the continuum to help optimize access to care.

Dr. Brown-Johnson began her career as the sole physician providing medical services to the Cree population of Waskaganish in James Bay (1990-1992). She was then appointed to the CPDP at the CHSLD de Gaspé, where she provided medical services to elderly patients for eight years and assumed administrative responsibilities, including Chief of General Medicine. In 1997, she received the Royal Canadian Legion Fellowship Award, which facilitated focused training at the University of Toronto’s Baycrest Centre for Geriatric Care.

Recruited by McGill University in 1999, Dr. Brown-Johnson is Assistant Professor in the Department of Family Medicine and Associate in the Department of Medicine, Division of Geriatrics. Her teaching contributions have included developing the Transition Care Course/Workshop for final-year medical students during their Geriatrics rotation at the MUHC; supervising foreign medical graduates during observerships as well as Family Medicine residents and third-year Family Medicine fellows; serving as Course Director for the (then annual) McGill Interdisciplinary Geriatric Seminar, as Facilitator for the Clinical Method I, Formation of the Healer and Conflict Negotiation/Resolution Professional courses, and as OSCE examiner for final-year medical students, among others.

In addition, Dr. Brown-Johnson helped develop and enhance clinical services in Transitional and Long-Term Care at the MUHC, in partnership with the Division of Geriatrics. In 2001, she was appointed Medical Director of MUHC Transition Care Services and, in 2002, Director of the Secondary Care Division of the MUHC Department of Family Medicine. As Founding Medical Director of the MUHC Office of Post Hospital Care and Community Support between 2008 and 2015, and Medical Director of the MUHC Hospitalist Unit between 2012 and 2015, Dr. Brown-Johnson and her team implemented an innovative model of care to optimize quality-of-care transitions, cost-effectiveness and patient flow between the MUHC and the community, which exceeded all quality and performance indicators and earned the Department of Medicine Award for Innovation in Clinical Care or Quality. In collaboration with the MUHC Family Medicine Executive and McGill Family Medicine Residency Training Program Directors, she helped re-establish the family medicine training program at the MUHC, and worked with network partners on Fellowship program development, including the McGill Enhanced Skills Program in Hospital Medicine.

Appointed Fellow of the College of Family Physicians of Canada in 2005, Dr. Brown-Johnson has published and lectured widely. Her recent scholarly activities include collaboration with the departments of Pediatrics, Medicine and Family Medicine on the "Pediatric Transition to Adult Care Task Force" to facilitate seamless transition to adult care for teenagers and young adults with continuing complex care needs; with the Faculty of Dentistry to identify key elements for development of effective leaders; with the Oncology Division on a Cancer Care Transition of Care Program currently under development to optimize the care trajectory for cancer survivors; and with the Department of Medicine on implementation of a Post-Acute/Alternate Level Care Unit at the Montreal General Hospital (MGH) to optimize care transitions to the community for the frail elderly and other patients with continuing complex care needs.

The first graduate of Concordia University’s Science College, she obtained a Bachelor of Science in Honours Biology with Distinction in 1983 and completed one year of doctorate studies in Molecular Biology and Genetics at McGill University before enrolling in Medicine in 1984. In 1988, she earned her Doctor of Medicine and Master of Surgery degree, completed residency training in Family Medicine at the MGH and obtained Certification from the College of Family Physicians of Canada in 1990. For over 25 years, Dr. Brown-Johnson has been a passionate volunteer, mentoring students and sponsoring two annual academic scholarships, together with her spouse, Dr. Dexter Gregory Johnson (McGill Faculty of Dentistry alum and dual-degree, Harvard-trained oral & maxillofacial surgeon). She has chaired or served on numerous committees and boards of directors, such as the Montreal Community Cares Foundation, Indigenous Health Centre of Tiaok_te, Dr. Kenneth Melville McGill Black Faculty Caucus, McGill Joint Senate Board Subcommittee on Racialized Persons, Faculty of Medicine Subcommittee on Admissions Best Practices, and Faculty of Dentistry Advisory Board, among others. She is currently serving as President of the Duke of Edinburgh International Award-Quebec Division and National director; and was most recently named Co-chair of the MUHC Committee for Action on Inclusion, Diversity and Equity. A recipient of the Woman of Merit Award from the Playmas Montreal Cultural Association, in honour of International Women's Day 2020 for dedicated service to her profession and community, Dr. Brown-Johnson is fluent in English and French.