Emma Wehipeihana

Ngāti Tukorehe, Ngāti Porou

Dr Emma Wehipeihana is an award-winning writer, podcaster and political commentator. Combining expertise in medicine and accessible writing, she shares information on the experience of Māori in New Zealand's healthcare system.

Many people who enter the medical profession spend their entire lives aspiring to do so. For Emma, it hadn't crossed her mind until she realised that one day she would have to explain to her child what she had dedicated her life to.

Having studied through the Māori and Pacific Admissions Scheme, she was inspired by her teachers, mentors, and fellow students, including lecturers Papaarangi Reid, Elana Curtis, and Rhys Jones. Not only did she acquire technical skills from their lectures, but they also shared a "path to follow" to advance Māori health and wellness.

After graduating and working as a surgical registrar at Middlemore Hospital, she continues to incorporate their ideas on how indigenous health equity can be achieved.  Emma continues to write and produce content, but now her focus is on the challenges, experiences, and hopes within medicine.

She lives in Tāmaki Makaurau with her mother and daughter. Her first book is the bestselling memoir There’s a Cure for This, published by Penguin Random House in 2023.

Links:

Newsroom articles – Emma Espiner

Doctor and political commentator Emma Espiner on her journey to finding purpose

Emma Espiner: a life less ordinary

Podcast: Getting better – A year in the life of a Māori medical student

Dr Emma Espiner speaks from the heart as a Māori doctor

Hāpai te Hauora

He Rangatira Our Leaders

Cyrus Rudd

NGĀTI RAUKAWA, MUAŪPOKO, NGĀTI WHAKAUE, NGĀTI MAIOTAKI

Cyrus Rudd is a promising young individual who is deeply committed to using his knowledge and experiences to inspire and uplift others, especially those with lived experiences of mental distress.

Boudine Brown

Waitaha, Kāi Tahu

Becoming a doctor has always been Boudine's dream, and the chance to give back to her community drives her. Her journey has been made possible through the support of her whānau and generous scholarships.

Mata Cherrington, LLB, BSocSc

Ngāti Hine, Te Kapotai, Ngāpuhi-Nui-Tonu, Ngāi Pakeha

Mata Cherrington is dedicated to improving hauora outcomes for whānau Māori through strategic and advisory roles. 

Teah Anna Lee Carlson

Te Whānau ā Apanui, Ngati Porou, Waikato-Tainui

Dr. Teah Carlson is a Kaupapa Māori researcher and evaluator dedicated to shifting power back to whānau and communities regarding the design and delivery of health services, workforce development, governance, qualitative methods, strategy, and evaluation