Dr Dudley grew up in central Auckland as one of eight siblings and attended Blockhouse Bay Primary and Intermediate Schools and Lynfield College. Leaving school at 15, she joined the Royal New Zealand Air Force in 1970 and became a sergeant by age 18. After a decade in Australia, where she raised her child as a solo parent, she returned to New Zealand in 1990 to pursue her studies at the University of Auckland.

Dr Makarena Diana Dudley is a clinical psychologist, neuropsychologist, and academic specialising in neuropsychology, dementia, and Māori health psychology research. She is currently a Senior Lecturer at the University of Auckland in the School of Psychology and Co-Director Māori for the Centre for Brain Research at the University of Auckland.

Dr Dudley holds a PhD in Neuropsychology from the University of Waikato (2008–2012), where her research focused on stroke recovery through Attention Process Training as part of the Stroke Attention Rehabilitation Trial (START). She also earned a postgraduate diploma in clinical psychology from the University of Auckland in 1996, funded by Te Rūnanga o Te Rarawa.

Dr Makerena Dudley professional roles include:

• Senior Lecturer (2016–Present): University of Auckland, School of Psychology, Faculty of Science
• Director of University Research: Faculty of Medical and Health Sciences, Centre for Brain Research, University of Auckland
• Clinical Psychologist: Worked across Auckland and Northland for 15 years, focusing on neuropsychology and clinical interventions

Dr Dudley’s research highlights include investigating the misdiagnosis of Māori with dementia and addressing disparities in Māori mental health. She has led significant projects, including a 2012 Health Research Council funded study on dementia diagnosis disparities and the development of a Māori appropriate diagnostic tool as well as a smartphone app to assist whānau in identifying early signs of mate wareware (dementia) while adhering to Tikanga Māori. Her work is grounded in culturally responsive methods and aims to bridge gaps in Māori health care and neuropsychology.

In 2020, she was awarded a fellowship by Alzheimers New Zealand to further explore the impacts of dementia. Despite being one of only three Māori neuropsychologists in Aotearoa New Zealand, she continues to champion equitable health outcomes for Māori.  Here are some of the awards she has been recognised for:

Appointed a Member of the New Zealand Order of Merit (2025) for services to people with dementia, particularly Māori.

Alzheimers New Zealand Fellowship (2020): Supporting dementia research and whānau-centred initiatives.

Health Research Council Principal Investigator (2017 and 2021): Leading research on (1) dementia diagnosis disparities among Māori and the prevalence of dementia in the Māori population.

Dr Dudley’s commitment to her iwi and her expertise in clinical psychology, neuropsychology, and Māori health have made her a trailblazer in her field. She continues to educate, mentor, and advocate for the application of culturally informed practices in psychology and health sciences.

Links:

Wikipedia article on Makarena Dudley

Expanding our knowledge base Alzheimers New Zealand article 13 May 2020

Māori Research Brain Research New Zealand website

Makarena Dudley heads to UNESCO neurotechnology summit addressing cultural bias in neuropsychology University of Auckland article 19 August 2024

Makarena Dudley: Bringing te ao Māori to dementia E-Tangata article 24 March 2023

Mate wareware: Understanding dementia' from a Māori perspective. Digital New Zealand audio recording