Our people

Nadia is a senior lecturer in public health. Her research aims to improve health systems and healthcare access for marginalised populations. She has expertise in participatory and qualitative methodologies and engaging with migrant and refugee background communities. Nadia is leading research on access to and experiences of childhood health services, vaccine attitudes and community-based pandemic planning. She also teaches postgraduate courses on qualitative research, practice and philosophies, and global health.

+64 (0)9 9219999 ext. 5430
nadia.charania@aut.ac.nz
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Eleanor is a Professor of Nursing, and Associate Dean International and Engagement at AUT’s Faculty of Health and Environmental Sciences. An AUT nursing alumna, she has a PhD in medical anthropology from HKU and 30 years of international university experience, mainly in Asia, Australia and East Africa. Her research and teaching on health equity, human rights and social justice spans nursing, public health and social sciences. Working with international PhD students is a key focus.

+64 (0)9 9219999 ext. 5298
eleanor.holroyd@aut.ac.nz
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Grace is a part-time senior lecturer in nursing at AUT and has been a researcher for the Centre for Occupational Health and Safety Research at AUT since 2020. She is the director and founder of Smokefree Nurses Aoteaora/New Zealand. In 2020 she co-led the Aotearoa Poster Competition, a national art-based project to combat anti-Chinese sentiment in the context of COVID-19.

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Anjali is a public health researcher. She currently works on multiple projects focused on stroke care, service performance and management, and ethnic differences of healthcare services in New Zealand. Anjali is involved in project management, digital health technologies, and QMS and regulatory affairs.

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Bala is experienced in research on vertical public health programmes and ideas that appreciate using local knowledge for future initiatives. His research reflections from public health policies of both high-income as well as low- and middle-income countries expound a larger issue in how the healthcare system has been designed. His research looks at sociocultural norms that increased the vulnerability of at-risk population.

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Blessing was born and raised in Zimbabwe and relocated to New Zealand to pursue a PhD inspired by her passion for health equity and social justice for migrant and refugee women. Blessing is committed to the roles that universities and agencies play as homes of this passion. It's a commitment that underpins Blessing’s work as an advisor for Refugee Health for INZ-MBIE and her research with the Migrant and Refugee Health Research Centre.

Cath has worked for 40 years in public health and international development in Africa, Asia, and the Pacific. She is the Director of the Child and Youth Health Research Centre (CYHRC) and Associate Head of School, Public Health and Interdisciplinary Studies.

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Chien is an early career researcher. Originally from Taiwan, she is a social scientist and a discourse analyst with 20 years of experience with immigrants and refugee students. She works for Te Kākano research network for wellbeing through physical activity within AUT's School of Sport and Recreation, exploring barriers and facilitators for older Asian migrants to engage in physical activity.

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Ineke is an internationally renowned educator in healthcare interpreting and the author of Introduction to healthcare for interpreters and translators, which has been published in special adaptations for interpreters of various languages. She spent time at Seattle Children’s Hospital as a Fulbright New Zealand Scholar, comparing the roles of patient navigators and medical interpreters.

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Isaac is a registered nurse and lecturer, focusing on migrant and refugee health disparities. His experience in nursing education and research spans Ghana, the UK and New Zealand. His expertise in interdisciplinary approaches, workforce development and chronic disease management, coupled with his teaching in nursing, makes him an invaluable asset to enhancing migrant and refugee health.

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Meenal is multilingual in business, education and research. As a skilled qualitative researcher, Meenal is carving a niche for herself in the dietary health and consumer health behaviour domains. Meenal is an Indian migrant in New Zealand who works with and for ethnic communities exploring lifestyle-based transitions for improving migrant health outcomes.

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As a senior lecturer in nursing attached to the Open University of Sri Lanka, Pramuditha has dedicated her career to advancing healthcare education and nurturing the next generation of nursing professionals. Beyond the lecture hall, Pramuditha has actively contributed to the field of research, with a particular interest in gerontological nursing and midwifery, making valuable contributions to nursing education.

Parisa is a programme leader of teacher education in AUT. She is recognised for her work with people from diverse cultural backgrounds. She also works with communities in Auckland and facilitates workshops with the Ministry of Education and Core Education support. Parisa's research focuses on inclusive pedagogies in teacher education, emphasising engagement with diverse communities.

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Paul is a registered nurse, nurse lecturer and doctoral candidate in AUT's School of Clinical Sciences. Paul's clinical expertise comes from nursing practice spanning over 20 years in a variety of areas including hospital and community pediatrics, public health, emergency, and refugee health. Paul has a special interest in child and youth health with a focus on refugee and migrant youth.

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Devaki De Silva is a scientist and lecturer, involved in clinical and public health disciplines. She possesses a diverse background that empowers her to adopt a holistic approach to medical and health sciences. Drawing from her multidisciplinary expertise, her contributions extend to stroke prevention, post-stroke recovery, women's health, preterm labour, epigenetics, and vector-borne diseases research.

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Thrishila is an early career social scientist with a sincere passion for health promotion and population health, particularly in Indigenous, migrant and refugee health. Her varied experiences in clinical research, wellness support programmes, and community services highlight her commitment to improving public health outcomes and promoting wellbeing across diverse populations.

Dr. Shabnam Jalili-Moghaddam is a registered nutritionist and research fellow at the National Institute for Stroke and Applied Neurosciences. With a rich background of study and work in Iran, Malaysia, and New Zealand, she brings a deep understanding of nutrition within diverse cultures. Her research is dedicated to advancing health promotion and chronic disease prevention, with a particular focus on nutrition and ethnic differences. Shabnam has extensive experience in national and international research projects and collaborations with diverse ethnic teams. She is also involved in teaching, alongside her research work, and is highly skilled in managing research studies, including clinical trials.

Tula researches and teaches in the area of mental health nursing and is an NZ-registered mental health nurse. Tula’s area of interest is about how marginalised communities are impacted by health policy and service provision, viewed through an ethics of care lens with a participatory approach to research.

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