Leaders such as Sir Ashley Bloomfield shared their knowledge and experience with talented emerging infectious diseases researchers at a hui hosted by Te Niwha.
Te Niwha’s Kia Niwha Leaders Fellow programme aims to mentor and boost the potential of those who could play key roles in future pandemics, as well as ongoing efforts to keep Aotearoa New Zealand best protected from infectious diseases.
Six promising researchers from around the country were awarded the inaugural year-long Fellowships and recently took part in the first of a series of hui.
Along with attending the leadership hui, each Fellow is undertaking a targeted infectious diseases research project. Read about the Fellows and their projects.
One of the Fellows Dr Alice-Roza Eruera (Ngāpuhi-nui-tonu, Ngāti Ruanui) spoke with Whakaata Māori during the first hui at Te Iti o Hauaa marae in the Waikato. Dr Eruera is developing a database of viruses in animals unique to Aotearoa New Zealand to understand how they might evolve and transfer to other hosts.
Dr Eruera told Whakaata Māori the first wānanga was an opportunity to reaffirm leadership skills she already knew, including things she had heard about her tupuna.
Her career as a microbiologist was inspired by losing her grandfather to a preventable disease.
“It changes your life forever when you lose that special person. It’s silly when you lose a loved one from something as simple as a preventable disease. So, my koro is definitely the driving force for everything I do in my mahi.”
BACK ROW, from left to right: Fellows (Dr Natalie Netzler, Dr Theresa Pankhurst, Dr Andrew Highton, Dr Alice-Roza Eruera); FRONT ROW, from left to right: Distinguished Professor Nigel French, Te Pora Thompson, Sir Ashley Bloomfield, Glenda Raumati
Former top health official Sir Ashley Bloomfield spent time with the Fellows during the hui and shared his leadership experience during the Covid-19 pandemic.
It was also a chance, he said, to ‘listen to them and find out what their leadership challenges are, and how the experiences that I’ve had could help them’.
Sir Bloomfield told Whakaata Māori he was pleased to be part of discussions at the hui about ongoing efforts to prevent the spread of diseases.
“The things we did during the pandemic, you know the behaviours of staying home if you’re sick, wearing a mask in public, we’re beginning to forget quite quickly, but really, they’re the things that will help continue to protect people, particularly our kaumātua, our young tamariki.’’
Sir Bloomfield said there was potential for another outbreak, including of measles. “There’s an increased potential for a measles outbreak happening, globally. This means it just takes one person to come to New Zealand with measles to make it happen.’’
Te Niwha Mana Whakahaere Director Te Pora Thompson (Ngaati Hauaa) says the Kia Niwha Leader Fellowships are an intensive programme purposely designed to support early to mid-career researchers in their specialty and boost leadership in areas necessary for protecting New Zealanders from infectious diseases and their impacts.
“Fellows have completed one of four compulsory waananga that aim to connect their research with communities, develop their priorities and leadership, and further learn from international and national tenured and respected infectious diseases and pandemic leaders.”
Further info:
Read: About the Fellows
Read: About their projects