As a result of the Māori Think Piece submitted to the Board in 2019, a Research Theme Leader Māori has been approved. Associate Professor Dr Matire Harwood (PhD, MBChB) has been appointed to this new leadership role. Matire (Ngāpuhi) lives in Auckland, and her background is in primary health care and rangahau hauora Māori.
She is the Director for Tōmaiora, Māori Health Research, and Senior Lecturer at the Auckland Medical School; Editor for the Māori Health Research Review; Clinical Advisor at National Hauora Coalition PHO and General Practitioner at Papakura Marae Health Clinic.
Matire is an appointed member to the Waitemata DHB and was appointed the 2017 L’Oréal UNESCO For Women in Science Fellowship in recognition of her work addressing the inequities of health-related outcomes between indigenous and non-indigenous people.
Other recent roles include membership of the Board and Māori Health Committee at the Health Research Council of New Zealand, and Clinical Director at Tamaki Healthcare PHO; Deputy Chair for Te Ora (Māori Medical Practitioners Association); previous member of the Asthma and Respiratory Foundation, and Health and Disability Ethics Committees.
