Nau mai, haere mai,
Strong. Prepared. Unified.
Te Niwha welcomes you to the second instalment of the Aotearoa New Zealand Infectious Diseases and Pandemic Preparedness Summit for 2024.
Across our network we have all been contributing research efforts towards preparing Aotearoa New Zealand for infectious disease threats of today and the future. Alongside Te Niwha research projects – this Summit is an open invitation to all that research for pandemics and infectious diseases.
As a network we have all, also, worked hard on our relationships between iwi, communities, researchers, and partner organisations and coming together in partnership.
The November Summit is a call for everyone within our unified network to share our research, our findings and participate in discussions. Two initial highlights to look forward to and register now for are:
- Science Media SAVVY Express Training
- Network and Stakeholder dinner to be held at Parliament House
We look forward to you and your team joining us in Wellington at Rutherford House. The diverse programme will feature international keynotes, talks, panel discussions, workshops, and a conference dinner where you can kōrero and explore deeper connections with others involved in this crucial mahi.
Don't miss this opportunity to be part of this strong, prepared and unified network.
We will update this website with information about exciting aspects of the Summit as they are confirmed.
Ngā manaakitanga,
The Te Niwha Team
Summit Hosts
Te Pora Thompson
Te Pora is the Director of Te Niwha, the Infectious Diseases Research Platform. She has a wealth of experience in local regional and national research and has served in many leadership, advisory and governance positions. During the COVID-19 pandemic,
Te Pora contributed to the Initial COVID-19 Māori Response Plan. Te Pora also held three concurrent positions across the pandemic response: Pouaarahi – Advisor to the Regional Group Controller of Civil Defence; Chair of the Iwi Maaori Council and member of the Commissioner Group for Waikato District Health Board and Maangai Maaori within Local Government – Hamilton City Council. Te Pora also supported her iwi Ngaati Hauaa, Waikato-Tainui. She has an enduring vision to achieve Mana Motuhake for Maaori in hauora.
Sir Ashley Bloomfield
Sir Ashley Bloomfield trained in medicine at the University of Auckland and specialised in public health medicine. He has 25 years’ experience in public policy and health leadership, including at the World Health Organization in Geneva. His professional areas of interest are non-communicable disease prevention and control and addressing health inequities. He was New Zealand’s Director-General of Health from June 2018 to July 2022 and led the country’s health response to the COVID-19 pandemic. He was appointed a Knights Companion of the New Zealand Order of Merit (KNZM) in the 2023 New Year Honours for services to public , and is now a Professor at the University of Auckland’s School of Population Health and Interim Chief Executive at ESR.
Prof John Fraser
John Fraser was Dean of the Faculty of Medical Sciences, University of Auckland from 2012-23. He is originally a graduate of Victoria University of Wellington (BSc Hons ‘80) and University of Auckland (PhD ’83) and conducted fundamental immunology research at Harvard before returning to New Zealand. He was the inaugural Wellcome Trust (UK) Senior Fellow in Medical Science (1992) John holds a Personal Chair in Molecular Medicine and is a Fellow of the Royal Society of New Zealand. John has a long-standing interest in immunity, infectious disease and particularly the mechanisms of virulence and pathogenicity of microbes. His current research focuses on understanding staphylococcal immunity and the development of a staphylococcal vaccine.
Dr Fiona Cram
Ko Mohaka te awa. Ko Tawhirirangi te maunga. Ko Ngāti Pahauwera te iwi
Fiona Cram is a Māori (indigenous) woman from Aotearoa New Zealand. Her tribal affiliations are to Ngāti Pahauwera on the east coast of Aotearoa. Fiona is the mother of one son.
Fiona has a PhD in social and developmental psychology from the University of Otago. She has lectured in Social Psychology and has also been a Senior Research Fellow within IRI (the International Research Institute of Māori and Indigenous Education), at the University of Auckland. In the middle of 2003 Fiona established Katoa Ltd.
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teniwha@otago.ac.nz