AUT - The Staff
The Staff
Key staff within the National Institute for Public Health and Mental Health Research (NIPHMHR) are detailed below.
- Co-Directors of NIPHMHR
- Coordinator of NIPHMHR
- Directors and Coordinators of Research Centres
- Key Leaders of Research Programmes
- NIPHMHR Research Staff
Co-Directors of NIPHMHR
Professor Max Abbott
Max is also Pro Vice-Chancellor and Dean of the Faculty of Health and Environmental Sciences and Professor of Psychology and Public Health. He is Past President of the World Federation for Mental Health and currently Deputy Chair of Waitemata District Health Board, and a Board member and Chair of Waitemata District Health Board's Hospital Advisory Committee. He is a clinical psychologist with over 150 publications in the fields of mental and public health. Much of his research has had a multidisciplinary perspective. Max is interested in supervising Ph.D. studies in the following fields: - Psychiatric Epidemiology - Gambling and Problem Gambling - Alcohol Studies - Cross Cultural Mental Health - Refugee and Migrant Mental Health.
Professor Janis Paterson
Janis is also co-director of the longitudinal study entitled the Pacific Islands Families Study that is focused on the development of the child within the context of the family. She is a developmental psychologist with experience both in qualitative and quantitative methodologies. Janis has supervised several Masters and Ph.D. students and is interested in supervising Ph.D. students in the following areas: - Child development - Adolescent issues - Parenting - Health and illness perceptions.
Coordinator of NIPHMHR
Dr Maria Bellringer
Maria is a senior research fellow with extensive experience in project and research management, and in gambling research. She has a background in biochemistry, spent 13 years as a toxicologist with concurrent project management and management responsibilities in England before migrating to New Zealand where she developed a passion for gambling research which has occupied her time for the past six years. Maria is also trained as a person-centred counsellor and has worked as a volunteer counsellor for young people.
Directors and Coordinators of Research Centres
Centre for Asian and Migrant Health Research
Professor Max Abbott, Director
See above.
Ruth DeSouza, Coordinator
Ruth is a senior research fellow with a passionate interest in issues relating to migrants and refugees and their incorporation and engagement in a bicultural society. As well as coordinating the Centre, Ruth is the Programme Leader for the new Graduate Diploma in Addictions. She is completing a PhD about the discoursive constructions of migrant motherhood. Ruth is a Board member of Counties Manukau District Health Board, Board member of the Asia New Zealand Foundation, Secretary of the Refugee Council of New Zealand, Member of the ARMS Trustee Appointment Committee (appointee of the Auckland City Council), a Member of the Lottery Community Sector Research Committee, member of the Steering Committee for Waitemata DHB Workforce Development (mental health and addiction), Advisory Committee Pacific Media Centre, Counties Manukau Mental Health and Addiction Network Committee, is on the Waitakere City Mayoral Task Force on Family Violence, and is a Councillor of the New Zealand Asian Studies Society. In addition Ruth coordinates the Aotearoa Ethnic Network (AEN) and edits the AEN Journal and is an Editorial Board member of the journals Diversity in Health and Social Care and Transcultural Nursing.
Centre for Pacific Health and Development Research
Professor Janis Paterson, Director
See above.
Gerhard Sundborn, Coordinator
Gerhard is a senior research fellow and is near completion of his doctoral study. His research investigates the cardiovascular risk profiles and diabetes status of the major Pacific ethnic groups in Auckland. His background is in Sport and Exercise Science (BSc) and Pacific/Public Health (MPH). Gerhard brings Pacific-specific experience in data collection, analysis and publication of results to the Centre and is eager to ensure that findings from the Pacific Islands Families Study make real changes to the health and wellbeing of Pacific youth and families. He has practical experience as a specialist youth worker (Youth Horizons Trust, Westbridge Residential School, PHAB Association) and has also worked on the Green Prescription exercise programme (Sport Auckland) as a facilitator/coordinator.
Centre for Physical Activity and Nutrition Research
Professor Grant Schofield, Director
Grant's interests lie in physical activity, lifestyle habits (including nutrition) and obesity. His research is centred firmly around these interests with serveral large projects including a strong interest in preschool, child and adolescent physical activity measurement, surveillance and intervention, workplace physical activity measurement and intervention, and whole community physical activity health promotion. Recent work in Australia (10,000 Steps Rockhampton) and ongoing work in New Zealand (10,000 Steps Northland) are salient examples of this work.
Gambling and Addictions Research Centre
Professor Max Abbott, Co-Director
See above.
Dr Maria Bellringer, Co-Director
See above.
Taupua Waiora Centre for Māori Health Research
Dr Lisa Ferguson, Director
Lisa is of Tainui/Waikato descent. Her area of research interest is the contemporary health sector, particularly the significant changes in the sector in the last two decades. Her Ph.D. thesis was on health reform and the impact on Maori from 1983 to 1997 and focused on secor change and the responsibility of the Crown to deliver as a Treaty partner. Lisa has been involved in a range of research from the Waitangi Tribunal (Wai 692), the National Health Committee, District Health Boards, to developing an indigenous mental health model for the non-government organisation sector.
Key Leaders of Research Programmes
Mental Health Research
Associate Professor Kate Diesfeld
Kate is the Director of the National Centre for Health and Social Ethics and a Senior Lecturer in the Faculty of Health and Environmental Sciences at AUT. She is a member of the Editorial Board of Journal of Medical Ethics and Health Law in Canada. Kate is also a member of the State Bar of California and represented people with developmental disabilities as an attorney for Protection and Advocacy, Inc in Los Angeles. She was a law lecturer and the Legal Supervisor of the Kent Law Clinic (Mental Health and Learning Disability) at the University of Kent at Canterbury in England from 1992 to 2000. She represented patients before the Mental Health Review Tribunal for seven years.
Dr Rex Billington
Rex's interest and career has been concerned with the application of the behavioural sciences to problems of sickness and health, and the education of health personnel. In December 1999, he retired from a career appointment of 18 years with the World Health Organisation where he had been the Regional Advisor for educational Development and Support in the Eastern Mediterranean Region, a Director of Technical Support to national HIV/AIDS programmes in the Global Programme for AIDS, and Chief of Mental Health Promotion and Policy, WHO Geneva. He participated in over 80 country missions. Among his areas of responsibility in WHO was the mental health of refugees and displaced people, mental disability and quality of life assessment. Currently he coordinates the WHOQOL Centre at AUT University.
Oral Health Research
Dr Susan Cartwright
Susan is Head of Discipline of the School of Oral Health and is also a general dentist with a special interest in periodontology, practicing dentistry at Newmarket Dental group. She is currently spear-heading the Oral Health Research Programme. Susan is committed to professional development and is studying towards a Master of Education.
Environmental Health ResearchDr Richard Anstiss
Richard is a senior lecturer in the Faculty of Health and Environmental Sciences and Visiting Assistant Professor at Rajshahi University, Bangladesh. He has worked for more than 15 years in fields from trace element geochemistry to management of science and public health structures and processes throughout many countries and institutions. Research focus is on cutting edge investigations of the applications of problem solving technical structures and processes using a people-centred science and public health approach that empowers communities.
Professor Philip Schluter, Professor of Biostatisticics
Philip is a Professor of Biostatistics, and Honorary Professor of Biostatistics at the University of Queensland, Australia. He is interested in thinking about, developing and applying Bayesian methods to public health problems. Bayesian methods depart from the conventional objectivist theories of probability and provide an alternative to hypothesis testing and confidence interval estimation. In the past, Philip has utilised these methods for the identification of motor accident 'black spots', for the 'change-point' analysis of an intervention amongst assault-related hospital admissions, the assessment of treatment response in a series of single patient (n-of-1) trials, and in multivariable method comparison studies, to name a few examples.
Nick Garrett, Biostatistician/Senior Research Fellow
Nick has extensive training and experience in statistical consulting; he assists in the development of a wide range of health research projects in terms of: study design; sample size; questionnaire design; collecting, managing and analysing data; interpretation of data analysis; presentation of data and statistical results. Nick has particular expertise with biostatistical and epidemiological methodologies with regard to communicable disease epidemiology, disease surveillance and environmental epidemiology. He also has experience with the use of quantitative risk analysis for modelling health and environmental risk assessment.
Steve Taylor, Senior Research Fellow
In 2009, Steve completed his MSc in Statistics at the University of Auckland and then joined AUT University as Biostatistician and Data Manager for the Pacific Islands Families Study. He has a strong interest in good database design principles and the statistical analysis of large and complex datasets. These interests were developed during his actuarial career, working in life and health insurance companies.
Dr Jan Browne, Senior Research Fellow
Jan has recently joined Taupua Waiora Centre for Maori Health Research, and Maori Health Postgraduate Studies. She is also an Adjunct in the Faculty of The Professions, School of Health at University of New England, Armidale, New South Wales, Australia. Jan has experience in a range of qualitative research methods, which include grounded theory, thematic analysis, in-depth interviewing case study and qualitative data analysis. She is passionate about bringing individual voices together to tell a powerful collective story. Jan enjoys supervising and mentoring students.
Dr Justin Pulford, Research Fellow
Justin has responsibility for coordinating projects within the Gambling and Addictions Research Centre. He has worked as an applied researcher in the alcohol and other drug treatment sector for the past five years, has a Master's degree in Biological Anthropology and has recently completed his PhD.
Rebecca Coombes, Research Officer
Rebecca has responsibilities for coordinating projects within the Gambling and Addictions Research Centre. She has a Bachelor of Science in psychology and zoology and a Masters in Veterinary Studies. Her independent research consisted of a study of human/canine interaction and the effects veterinary students' attitude, fear and experience have on the relationship.
Katie Palmer, Research Officer
Katie works in the Gambling and Addictions Research Centre and is involved in interviewing and assisting in the day-to-day operations of projects conducted in the Centre. Katie has a Bachelor of Arts (Hons, First Class) in Social and Community Psychology and is currently exploring Masters topics. Her current interests lie broadly in the influence of culture and society on individual choices, thoughts, feelings and behaviours, as well as on broader issues like public health policy and practice, and more specifically in the use of feminist, social constructionist, and discursive theory and practice in describing and researching these questions.
Jarom Armstrong, Research Assistant
Jarom is of Ngati Hine and Waikato descent. He is a very enthusiastic sportsman and his research interests include sports performance and traditional concepts of health. His most recent work involved support on 'A diabetes-related lower limb pathology control demonstration intervention for Maori', 'Rauringa Raupa: Recruitment and retention of Maori in the health and disability workforce', and 'Review of the Ministry of Health Hauora Maori Scholarship Programme'. He is currently in the final stages of completing a Bachelor of Chiropractic (BChiro) degree.
Leon Iusitini, Research Assistant
Leon completed his undergraduate degree (BCom/BA Conjoint) at the University of Auckland in 2005 and joined the Pacific Islands Families Study as a research assistant in April 2006. He is part of the data management team and assists with production of research outputs. He is currently completing a Masters degree in social science.
Amor Hirao, Research Administrator
Amor is a native of the Philippines and was awarded her undergraduate and postgraduate (MA) degrees in sociology from the University of the Philippines. Since her arrival in New Zealand, Amor has worked in the field of health and social science, coordinating and administrating research and training. She is currently pursuing postgraduate studies in the field of management and is the administrator for the National Institute for Public Health and Mental Health Research.
Professor Elaine Rush, Member CPAN
Elaine has research expertise in the measurement of body composition, energy expenditure and nutrition with a particular interest in ethnic differences, particularly among Māori, Pacific Island, European and Indian populations in New Zealand. She has been involved in the recent child nutrition survey in New Zealand and attended a WHO meeting in Singapore to discuss appropriate BMI cutoffs for overweight and obesity in Asian populations. Her current research interests concern the implementation of interventions to reduce the risk for lifestyle disease. Elaine is also Director of the Body Composition and Metabolism Research Centre at AUT.
Dr Rachel Volberg, Adjunct Professor
Rachel, President of Gemini Research, Massachusetts, USA has been involved in research on gambling and problem gambling since 1985. She has directed or consulted on numerous studies throughout the world, including four national prevalence studies in the United States, New Zealand and Sweden. Rachel was the first investigator to receive funding from the (U.S.) National Institutes of Health to study the prevalence of problem gambling and she presently directs an NIH study of problem gambling among women drinkers as well as serving as a consultant on two other NIH studies of pathological gambling among twins. Rachel was recently elected president of the (U.S.) National Council on Problem Gambling.
Professor Jan McMillen, Adjunct Professor
Jan has extensive experience in the analysis of gambling policy and regulation, the study of gambling impacts and social policy. She was Australia's first professor of gambling research (Australian Institute for Gambling Research, University of Western Sydney) and more recently the Director, Centre of Gambling Research, Australian National University. Jan has published over 50 gambling research reports, including studies in New Zealand, as well as numerous academic publications. In 2001, she established the prestigious multidisciplinary International Gambling Studies journal, published by Taylor and Francis (UK). Jan also has been a regulator, appointed to two independent Gaming Commissions (Victoria and Queensland). Her dual roles as researcher-regulator have provided a detailed understanding of community perspectives, the responsibilities of gambling operators and the practical aspects of gaming policy and regulation.
Dr Stefan Sjostrom, Research Fellow
Stefan has a PhD in communication studies from Linkoping University and is a senior lecturer and Associate Professor in social work at Umea University, Sweden. His research is oriented towards two empirical fields: mental health and issues relating to coercive intervention, particularly legal proceedings regarding such issues. He is an ethnographic researcher oriented towards discourse analysis and his theoretical approach is grounded in micro-sociology. A central theme has been an ethnomethodological understanding of everyday practice and interaction between professionals and clients/patients. As a result of Stefan's dual interest in coercion and interaction, the notion of power is crucial in his research.