Ka tū ahau kei runga i te maunga tūpuna e Pīrongia, ko tāku tirohanga ki te (Ō)torohanga o te whenua ki te ūkaipō, ki te Nehenehenui. Titiro whakateraro ki te au o te awa o Waipā. Rite tonu te tū kōtahi o ngā rākau ki Te Kotahitanga o ngā hapū maha o Maniapoto. Anō nei te kōrero, “he aha koe e haere mai i te rourou iti a haere, tē noho atu ai i te tokanga-nui-a-noho.”
Dr. Jade Tamatea is an Endocrinologist and Diabetologist at Te Whatu Ora Waikato - the study of hormones and their effects on the body, with a particular interest in thyroid disease. Her approach is grounded in both high-quality clinical and culturally safe care that prioritises Hauora Māori.
As a clinician-researcher, Jade is committed to health equity. Her doctoral work at the University of Auckland investigated treatment inequities in thyrotoxicosis for Māori, laying the foundation for her continuing research into ethnic inequities in endocrine health.
Her recent projects, many with kaupapa Māori methodologies, centre on systemic reform, workforce development, and co-designed models of care, such as the TAONGA project for thyroid health. Her work appears in local and international journals and contributes to policy development that centres Māori perspectives in health outcomes.
Dr. Tamatea serves as a Senior Lecturer with Te Kupenga Hauora Māori and the Department of Medicine at the University of Auckland, where she coordinates the Hauora Māori curriculum for senior medical students and supports postgraduate research mentorship and supervision. Jade brings hauora Māori into clinical teaching, helping students become thoughtful, equity-driven doctors who understand the importance of culture, context, and whānau in healthcare.
Jade’s leadership extends across clinical, research, and strategic spheres. She has held key governance roles including:
- Reference Group Member, Leaders in Indigenous Medical Education (LIME)
- Interim Chair, HRC Biomedical Committee
- Clinical Equity Lead, Te Whatu Ora Waikato
She has also contributed to multiple national advisory and steering groups, helping to shape equity-focused clinical guidelines, reviews and services.
Raised in Waikato, Jade has returned to walk the path carved out by her tūpuna, supported by her husband, and two tamariki and driven by the collective strength of her whānau and iwi.
E kore e mimiti te puna o te aroha o tōku whānau whānui. Whether in the clinic, classroom, or meeting room, she carries the aspirations of her people and strives to uplift Māori voices in all spaces.
Links:
BMJ Journal: Using Days Alive and Out of Hospital to measure inequities and explore pathways through which inequities emerge after coronary artery bypass grafting in Aotearoa New Zealand: a secondary data analysis using a retrospective cohort. Volume 15, Issue 2 February 2025
Journal of the Endocrine Society, 7179 Efficacy of radioactive iodine for the treatment of thyrotoxicosis in a prospective cohort in Aotearoa/New Zealand Volume 8, Issue Supplement_1, October-November 2024
Internal Medicine Journal: Genetic testing for familial hyperaldosteronism type 1 in Aotearoa/New Zealand, 31 August 2024
ANZ Journal of Surgery (2023) – Ethnic differences in thyroidectomy outcomes.
Board Member, Aotearoa Diabetes Collective Trust
28 May 2025
