Menu

Public Health department

Part of health sciences at AUT, the Public Health department covers a range of undergraduate and postgraduate programmes – from public and environmental health to disaster risk management, health care ethics, and violence and trauma studies.

Our academic staff are widely known for their expertise across the field of public health, and our coursework and research programmes attract local and international students and academics. The programmes strengthen practice and research expertise in public health, environmental health, emergency and disaster management, health care ethics, and violence and trauma studies.

Research in health sciences

We believe in high-quality research that has impact, and have world-class researchers and research strengths across health sciences.

More about our research

Research associations

The National Institute for Public Health and Mental Health Research contributes to the reduction of health disparities and improves the health of New Zealanders.

department-staff-with-visiting-scholar
Department staff with Professor Robert Field (Drexel University, Philadelphia), visiting Fulbright Scholar and speaker at AUT's 2018 food symposium, 'Our Food. Our People. Our Future.'.
Vansak Soeum
Sarah Yzendoorn
Fern Pereira
McDonald William Nyalapa
Ainda Piako Kepon
Vansak Soeum
Great graduatesVansak SoeumProject Coordinator, Promoting Healthy Behaviors, 17 Triggers Consulting Asia / Lecturer, Pharmacy Faculty, University of Puthisastra, Phnom Penh, CambodiaMaster of Public HealthIt’s a fundamental right of every human being to receive an attainable standard of health and public health is also individual responsibility, says Vansak Soeum.It’s a fundamental right of every human being to receive an attainable standard of health and public health is also individual responsibility, says Vansak Soeum.
Read full story
Sarah Yzendoorn
Great graduatesSarah YzendoornProject Manager, WSP New ZealandBachelor of Health ScienceShe has always envisioned herself as a changemaker, says Sarah Yzendoorn who wants to improve public health outcomes through quality infrastructure.She has always envisioned herself as a changemaker, says Sarah Yzendoorn who wants to improve public health outcomes through quality infrastructure. Sarah says she would definitely recommend the Bachelor of Health Science in Public and Environmental Health to others. Being able to apply her knowledge during a summer internship was one of her greatest achievements during her time at university, Sarah says.
Read full story
Fern Pereira
Great graduatesFern PereiraFounder, Clean PlateMaster of Public Health
Graduate Diploma in Health SciencePassionate about promoting healthy eating to children, Fern Pereira was drawn to AUT’s public health programmes. Being at AUT has benefitted her work, she says.Passionate about promoting healthy eating to children, Fern Pereira was drawn to AUT’s public health programmes. She appreciated being able to apply what she was learning to her own business, Clean Plate, which was born to provide a holistic approach to healthy eating and wellbeing for the early childhood education sector.
Read full story
McDonald William Nyalapa
Great graduatesMcDonald William NyalapaLecturer in Adult Health, University of Malawi, Blantyre, MalawiMaster of Public HealthPostgraduate study has made him more confident in his career as a health professional, says McDonald William Nyalapa who came to AUT from Malawi.Postgraduate study has made him more confident in his career as a health professional, says McDonald William Nyalapa who came to AUT as an international student from Malawi to study a Master of Public Health. For his master’s thesis, McDonald explored the risk of diabetes in Malawi, under the supervision of AUT academics Dr Cath Conn and Kate Kersey.
Read full story
Ainda Piako Kepon
Great graduatesAinda Piako KeponMaster of Public HealthShe wants to help the women and girls of Papua New Guinea, says Master of Public Health student Ainda Piako Kepon who came to AUT as an international student.She wants to help the women and girls of Papua New Guinea, says Master of Public Health student Ainda Piako Kepon who came to AUT as an international student, supported by a Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade New Zealand – Manaaki New Zealand Scholarship. For her Master of Public Health research, Ainda is investigating how to strengthen the sexual and reproductive health of displaced women and children in Melanesia.
Read full story

Contact us

Contact our public health team
Phone: +64 9 921 9999 ext 7154

sihs.administration@aut.ac.nz

View department staff

News
Marsden group photo
News image
Te Tiriti: Two perspectives
Heather Came
Good design-disability
News pattern
Marsden group photo
Marsden Fund success for AUT
09 Nov, 2022
The Faculty of Health and Environmental Sciences had two grants approved with total funding of $1.6 million in the 2022 round of Marsden funding.
News image
Depression in Pacific adolescents
30 Sep, 2022
A new study uses network analysis to demonstrate how connectedness with family, friends, and school can prevent depression in Pacific adolescents.
Te Tiriti: Two perspectives
Te Tiriti: Two perspectives
15 Mar, 2022
Q+A with ‘Te Tiriti-based futures + Anti-racism 2022’ event organisers – Heather Came (Pākehā activist-scholar) and Eridani Baker (Māori student-activist).
Heather Came
Public Health Champion 2021
26 Nov, 2021
Associate Professor Heather Came has been named this year’s Kāhui Hauora Tūmatanui Public Health Champion.
Good design-disability
Good design can normalise disability
17 Nov, 2021
Harnessing the lived experience of disabled people is key to changing the face of disability and design at both a societal and personal level.
View all news
Back to top
Website search