Meet the SPOTS team

Kia ora. I lead our team and am an Associate Professor in the University of Auckland’s School of Population Health, trained in epidemiology and public health. My work focuses on HIV prevention and sexual health among men who have sex with men. I am committed to ending epidemics and advancing health equity for Rainbow communities. For over 25 years, I’ve generated evidence to guide effective interventions and public health responses. Strong partnerships with community organisations and policy makers ensure our research leads to real‑world impact, from PrEP to blood donation, helping make Aotearoa a more inclusive place where our communities can thrive.

I am a health psychology researcher and Research Fellow in the Department of Social and Community Health at the University of Auckland. I currently serve as the Interim Lead of the Sex and Prevention of Transmission Study (SPOTS).

My role is to work on policy-relevant research deliverables to inform the HIV Action Plan 2030. My research expertise sits at the intersection of psychological medicine and public health, with a strong emphasis on translating behavioural and psychological research into evidence that informs clinical practice, prevention strategies, and health policy for priority populations. I also serve on the Board of the New Zealand Sexual Health Society, contributing to governance and strategic direction across the sexual health sector.

Kia ora! I’ve been involved with SPOTS since 2023 through my work at Burnett Foundation, and in 2025 joined the University team as a Research Fellow specialising in qualitative HIV research.

I grew up between Auckland and Taranaki, and whakapapa to Scotland and England. I completed my PhD at La Trobe University’s Australian Research Centre in Sex, Health and Society, where I examined the HIV epidemic among MSM in the Philippines.

My professional journey spans government policy, infectious disease and community-based research, health promotion, and advocacy, and I’ve worked in the local HIV response since 2019. Alongside this, I am passionate about global health and the regional HIV response. 

My research is grounded in listening deeply to the lived experiences of at-risk populations, tracing the social and structural factors that shape behaviour, uncovering the inequities that persist, and identifying where HIV prevention efforts may be falling short.

Kia ora, I am the quantitative data research fellow for the SPOTS Team. I organise the data that our communities have trusted us with and enable it to tell our stories. I’m based at the University of Auckland School of Population Health trained in epidemiology and public health. I studied at Imperial College London and the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine before undertaking my PhD at the University of Auckland. My expertise is in HIV and sexual health of men who have sex with men, vaccine-preventable disease, health policy, and epidemiology. My drive is to use our data to advocate and achieve health equity for our Rainbow Communities in Aotearoa NZ.