Professor Linda Tuhiwai Smith
Pro Vice-Chancellor Māori, University of Waikato

Professor Linda Tuhiwai Smith (Ngāti Awa, Ngāti Porou) is Pro Vice-Chancellor Māori and Professor of Education and Māori Development at the University of Waikato. She has been Chair of the Māori Health Committee since November 2008, and represents the Committee on the HRC's Board. She is also President of NZARE (NZ Association of Research in Education) and heavily involved with settling Ngāti Porou's historical Treaty claims with the crown.

She has previously been a Joint Director of Ngā Pae o Te Māramatanga the Māori Centre of Research Excellence and a Director of IRI the International Research Institute for Māori Education, both based at the University of Auckland.

Professor Smith's research career bridges health and education. Her first research experience was on a multi-disciplinary asthma management study led by Professors Harry Rea and Stuart McNaughton and was funded by the Medical Research Council. Professor Smith is well known for her 1998 book "Decolonizing Methodologies Indigenous Peoples and Research" and other writings on research methodologies such as Kaupapa Māori Research.

Dr Amohia Boulton
Senior Researcher, Whakauae Research Services

Dr Amohia Boulton (Ngai te Rangi, Ngāti Ranginui, Ngāti Pukenga) is a Senior Researcher at Whakauae Research Services, an iwi-based research centre in Whanganui. She is a former Senior Research Fellow of Te Pūmanawa Hauora, the Research Centre for Māori Health and Development at Massey University, Palmerston North where she coordinated the centre's Doctoral School. Amohia's research interests include Māori health services research, community mental health and health promotion. Her research programme focuses on understanding the interaction between policy, contracting and accountability frameworks and service delivery to improve Māori health outcomes. Amohia lives on a lifestyle block in Marton with her partner and spends her spare time renovating their old cottage, gardening and tramping. 

Dr Matire Harwood
Clinical Director, Tamaki Health Care PHO

Dr Matire Harwood (Ngapuhi) joined the Māori Health Committee in February 2009 and was appointed to the HRC Board later in 2009.  A graduate of Auckland Medical School, Matire has spent the last 15 years working in primary care and health research in Wellington.  She returned to Auckland last year to be closer to whānau.

Her background and research/work interests are:

-     Primary Care – was a GP at Whai Oranga Health Centre in Wainuiomata until 2006 and is currently the Clinical Director for Tāmaki Healthcare PHO, a Māori-led PHO in ADHB.

-     Hauora Māori – Matire has contributed to Hauora: Māori Health Standards 2000-2005.  Also provides comments to the Māori Health Research Review – a two-monthly review of health research that may of relevance to Māori.  Elected Deputy Chair to Te Ohu Rata o Aotearoa (Māori Medical Practitioners Association) in 2008.

-     Rehabilitation – is the principal investigator for the Māori and Pacific Stroke Study looking at ways to improve stroke outcomes for Māori, Pacific people with stroke and their whānau.  Another study has investigated barriers for Maori with traumatic brain injury and their whānau.

-     Mum – to Te Rangiura who turned 4 in May. 

Dr Leonie Pihama
Co-Director, Māori and Indigenous Analysis Ltd

Dr Leonie Pihama (Te Atiawa, Ngā Māhanga ā Tairi, Ngāti Māhanga) is Director of MAIA (Māori and Indigenous Analysis Ltd, holds a B.A. in Māori and Education, and a Master of Arts (Hons) in Education and a PhD (Education).  Leonie was a member of the Maori Education Team at the University of Auckland and Director of The International Research Institute for Maori and Indigenous Education (IRI) for four years.  She has led a number of HRC and HRC/FoRST funded projects and has recently completed the Hohua Tutengaehe Fellowship. Leonie is a mother of 6 children and is involved in Puna Reo and Kura Kaupapa Maori.  Leonie joined the Māori Health Committee in 2008 and brings expertise in education, research, workforce development, Kaupapa Māori and te reo.

Ms Mere Balzer
CEO, Te Runanga o Kirikiriroa

Ms Mere Balzer (Te Arawa, Ngati Ranginui, Ngati Maniapoto) is currently the CEO for Te Runanga o Kirikiriroa which provides a range of Kaupapa Māori Mental Health and Addiction Services to Hamilton and surrounding districts. The Runanga also includes services aimed at Whānau ora and Research and Development. Mere has been a member of the Māori Health Committee since 2005. 

Dr Paul Reynolds
Co-Director, Te Atawhai o te Ao

Dr Paul Reynolds (Whanganui, Ngā Puhi and Ngāti Tuwharetoa) is the Co-Director for Te Atawhai o te Ao, an independent Maori research institute based in Whanganui. He is a kaupapa Māori researcher, with experience in completing research on Māori health and wellbeing, in areas related to Takataapui wellbeing, sexual and reproductive health, HIV/AIDS, fertility and reproduction, kaumatua wellbeing, and tane Māori and depression. Paul is also concerned with the health and wellbeing of the environment and whānau, with involvement in projects related to Māori organic growing, kai and health and wellbeing, and the impact of chemicals / toxins on whānau, communities and the environment.

Ms Kahu McClintock
Research Manager, Te Rau Matatini

Ms Kahu McClintock (Tainui, Ngāti Mutunga, Ngāti Porou) was invited to be a member on the Māori Health Committee of the HRC in July 2008. She has recently submitted her Doctorate of Philosophy (Psychiatry) PhD thesis at Auckland University titled Te Tomokanga, Acceptable Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services (CAMHS) for Māori in Aotearoa. She is a past recipient of the HRC Māori Career Development Award (2006 – 2009) which supported her PhD research activities.  Kahu trained as a psychiatric nurse in the 1970’s and the last clinical position she held was in the Kaupapa Māori Tamariki Mokopuna Service of Te Puna Hauora, Tauranga Hospital. She is also a qualified primary school teacher and has vast experience in special education and kaupapa Māori education. More recently Kahu has worked as a contracted researcher with Te Wānanga o Aotearoa, Te Runanga o Kirikiriroa and Te Rau Matatini, the national Māori mental health workforce centre.

Kahu is a very proud mother of two children, Vinnie completing a Post Graduate Diploma in Rehabilitation (Addictions) at Massy University (Palmerston North) and Rachel completing a Bachelors of Medicine at Auckland University.

Ms Riripeti Haretuku
Quality Manager, Health Sponsorship Council

Riripeti Haretuku is of Ngāpuhi, Tuhoe and Te Arawa descent. She has been actively involved in Māori Health and more specifically Māori child health advocacy for over 20 years and particularly in the area of Māori Sudden Infant Death Syndrome since 1992. In 2000 her work in Māori Health was formally recognised when she received a Queens medal as an Officer for the New Zealand Order of Merit. She has also been involved in the implementation of the United Nations Childrens Rights Convention in New Zealand as a member of ACYA. She maintains an active interest in Māori smoke free, breastfeeding and more recently healthy eating, problem gambling and sunsmart through her current position at the Health Sponsorship Council based in Wellington.  She is currently the Chair of Hauora.com (Māori health workforce development) and the acting chair of Te Whiringa (Māori community health workers). She is also a past member of the National Health Committee and the Public Advisory Committee. Riripeti’s research experience is based in SIDS research and she has been a research referee for the Health research Council for the last 6 years.