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Advisory and Assessing Committees

Pacific Health Research Committee membership

The Pacific Health Research Committee provides the HRC with advice about Pacific health research priorities and Pacific health research workforce development. It is a standing committee founded by the HRC in recognition of the need to have high-level expertise in managing Pacific health research investment.

There is also a Pacific Assessing Committee that assesses the Pacific Career Development Awards and Pacific Project applications, and makes recommendations to the HRC Council about which applications to support.

Committee members:

  • Dr Riz Firestone - Senior Research Fellow/Associate Dean Pacific, Centre for Public Health Research, Massey University, Wellington Campus, Wellington
  • Lemalu Alexa Masina 
  • Dr Dianne Sika-Paotonu - (Chair) Associate Dean Pacific/Senior Lecturer, University of Otago, Wellington
  • Dr Bruce Su'a - Paediatric Surgeon, Starship Hospital, Auckland
  • Dr Seini Taufa - General Manager for Moana Research
  • Dr Paula Vivili - Director, Public Health Division, The Pacific Community, Noumea
  • Dr Donald Wilson - Associate Dean - Research and Director of the Fiji Institute of Pacific Health Research at the College of Medicine, Nursing and Health Sciences at Fiji National University

Ex officio members:
Marisa Maepu -
Ministry of Health
Professor Kathryn McPherson - Former Chief Executive, Health Research Council of New Zealand

Committee Secretary: Tolotea Lanumata, HRC Manager - Pacific Health Research.

Additional: Pacific Health Research Terms of Reference