Meet the Team | Tūtaki mai i te rōpū

We are researchers based at Waipapa Taumata Rau (University of Auckland), crossing many backgrounds, disciplines, and perspectives. Our group includes practitioners in ethnic minority health research, population and clinical youth health, intersectionality and grounded theory, and creative arts. There will also be PhD, Masters and Honours students involved at various stages of the study. This work is guided by our wonderful Youth Advisory Group.

Research Team

Dr. Roshini Peiris-John,Principal Investigator & Associate Professor

Dr. Roshini Peiris-John is an Associate Professor in the Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics at the University of Auckland. She is Co-Director of University of Auckland’s Centre Asian and Ethnic Minority Health Research and Evaluation (CAHRE), Asian and migrant youth lead of the Adolescent Health Research Group and co-investigator of the Youth’19 Rangatahi Smart Survey. Roshini has expertise in epidemiology, mixed-methods research, youth health, and Asian and migrant health.

Dr. Rodrigo Ramalho, Principal Investigator & Senior Lecturer

Dr. Rodrigo Ramalho is a qualified psychiatrist and an academic at the University of Auckland. Informed by a critical theory perspective, his research contributes to the development of person and community-centred, ground-up, and culturally and contextually responsive health policies and health care. He has expertise in grounded theory, qualitative research, person-centred psychiatry and mental health promotion. Rodrigo will lead the qualitative research phases.

Dr. Rachel Simon-Kumar, Associate Professor

Dr. Rachel Simon-Kumar is an Associate Professor at the School of Population Health, The University of Auckland. She has a background in feminist theory, gender, development, policy, and migrant communities. She brings expertise on qualitative and intersectional research, critical analysis, and ethnic minority health. Rachel will guide the qualitative phases and contribute expert input on intersectional and critical analysis. She has been actively involved in bridging the gap between academia and practical applications, fostering a holistic approach to addressing health disparities within ethnic minority communities.

Dr. Renee Liang, Senior Research Fellow

Dr. Renee Liang is a practicing paediatrician, medical researcher (Growing Up In NZ Asian theme lead), MNZM (services to Arts), a multidisciplinary artist (poet, essayist, short story writer, playwright, librettist, theatre producer), community arts leader. She has led initiatives that promote creative collaborations by artists and have propelled Kiwi Asians into the burgeoning arts scene in Auckland. As an Asian New Zealander she often uses her writing to provide cultural commentary and spark discussion. RL will provide guidance and access to expertise on translation to creative/ media outputs.

Dr. Vartika Sharma, Research Fellow

Dr. Vartika Sharma is a Research Fellow at the School of Population Health, The University of Auckland. She is a public health specialist with specific interest in youth mental health (esp. self-harm and suicide), ethnic minority health and women’s health. Her research work is strongly grounded in building meaningful community partnerships and elevating their voices in research involving them. Dr Sharma has expertise in qualitative research methods, intersectional research and critical analysis. She will be involved in the qualitative and co-design phase of the project including supervision of students working on the project.

Dr. Shanthi Ameratunga, Honorary Professor 

Dr. Ameratunga is a paediatrician and public health physician, former chair of the Adolescent Health Research Group and over 20 years of experience leading cross-disciplinary research programmes stimulating changes in policy and practice in youth health, injury prevention and trauma outcomes. 

Dr. Arier Lee, Biostatistician

Dr. Arier Lee is a Biostatistician at the Faculty of Medical and Health Sciences and has over 20 years of experience in biostatistics, epidemiology, experimental design, cross-sectional research, and the use of IDI and administrative data. She will lead the quantitative analysis.

Kristy Kang, Youth Advisory Lead

Kristy has a background in public health and is passionate about advocacy. As a border dweller herself, Kristy is enthusiastic about conducting research that best reflects her experiences and those of her border dweller peers living in NZ. She will lead the youth advisory group.

Mariana Toledo, Postgraduate Student

Mariana is a non-binary tauiwi in Aotearoa, originally from Brazil. They are currently pursuing a Masters in Communication, and their thesis looks into self-representation of intersectional ethnic youth on social media. Their research interests include online communities and behaviour, queer and immigrant youth, and representation in popular media.

Nikki Singh, Research Assistant

Nikki Singh is a PhD candidate, research assistant and graduate teaching assistant at the School of Population Health. Her doctoral research explores chronic illness, particularly autoimmune diseases and identity formation for young adults in Aotearoa.

Annie Chiang, Research Assistant

Annie a PhD Candidate at Waipapa Taumata Rau who is interested in how we count populations accurately and what it means to be counted. While Annie enjoys working with data, her real love is teaching and getting to work with young people as an ethics tutor.

Naomi Simon-Kumar, Postgraduate Student

Naomi (she/her/ia) is tauiwi of South Indian Malayali heritage, raised between Te Whanganui-a-Tara, Kirikiriroa and India. Her research draws on intersectional mixed-methods approaches to examine disparities in mental health and wellbeing across different groups of ethnic youth in Aotearoa. She is co-founder of Multiethnic Young Leaders, a non-profit working to improve the representation of ethnically diverse rangatahi in higher leadership.

Uma Sreedhar, Research Elective Student

Uma (she/her) is a first-year house officer at North Shore Hospital. She graduated in Medicine from the Faculty of Medical & Health Sciences at the University of Auckland. She undertook a research elective in her final year of medical school with the Thriving @ Crossroads team. She has also been involved in several student organisations including serving as the Editor-in-Chief of New Zealand Medical Student Journal in 2022 and as Vice President External of the New Zealand Medical Students’ Association in 2021.

Aqsa Kothiwala, Research Elective Student

Aqsa (she/her) is a student studying medicine at the University of Auckland. She is expecting graduating in 2026 from the Faculty of Medical & Health Sciences and contributed to the Thriving @ Crossroads project as a part of her medical humanities paper in her third year of studies. She has been involved in multiple extracurricular activities at University: placing 1st in the summer lab programme by the centre of innovation and entrepreneurship in 2022 and also was a part of the cast in med revue.

Leka Smith,Research Assistant Student

Leka (she/her) is a medical student at Waipapa Taumata Rau of Japanese and Pākehā descent. She previously graduated with a BHSc where she gained a keen interest in the lived experience and health outcomes of youth in Aotearoa with multiple marginalised identities. She aspires to work with children and young people across clinical and public health domains.

Youth Advisory Group

Our Youth Advisory Group (YAG) are young people aged 16-24 years who are well connected members of their respective minority communities. They have the ability to consider and communicate the knowledge, lived experience and needs of their peers and advise us on best practice. The YAG meets two times a year.

YAG members are an integral part of the study team.

They:

  • Provide feed back on different aspects of the study design and planning
  • Provide strategic advice and direction to different study phases
  • Offer advice and support in promoting participant recruitment
  • Offer advice on study results to ensure correct interpretation and analysis
Interested in Joining?

Key Partners

Youth Health Research Collaborators

Terryann Clark

Associate Professor, Co-Principal Investigator, Youth19 secondary school survey, PI Youth12 secondary School surveys [LINK]

Theresa (Terry) Fleming

Associate Professor, Co-Principal Investigator, Youth19 secondary school survey [LINK]

Sarah-Jane Paine

Director Growing-Up in NZ study and PI study on racism and rangatahi (HRC 18/471) [LINK]

Sarah Fortune, Counties Manukau DHB

Adolescent clinical psychologist, Child and Youth Mortality Review Committee at Counties Manukau District Health Board, Chair of Suicide Mortality Review Committee [LINK]

Health Service Provider Networks

Kelly Feng, Asian Family Services

National Director, Asian Family Services [LINK]

Bridget Farrant, Counties Manukau Kidz First

Clinical Director, Counties Manukau Kidz First Centre for Youth Health; Chair, Northern Region Transgender Clinical Governance Group [LINK]

Lifeng Zhou, Public Health Association of NZ

Chair, Asian caucus of Public Health Association of NZ

Community Service Provider Network

Vishal Rishi, The Asian Network Incorporated

Director of The Asian Network Incorporated [LINK]

Website Designer

Jason Tran

BE(Hons)/BCom

Design Partners

Borni Te Rongopai Teukiwaho

Tikanga Māori creative practitioner. Kaiwhakahaere/ Whānau, Taurima Vibes Ltd. [LINK]

Nathan Joe

Chinese-Kiwi Playwright and Performance Poet. [LINK]

Michelle Ang

Emmy-nominated actress and interdisciplinary creative [LINK]

Katrina Chandra

[LINK]

Ahi Karunaharan

[LINK]

Amber Curreen

Kaihautū – Taha Whānau, Te Pou Theatre

Márianne Infante

Proudly Asian Theatre

Interested in Joining the Team?

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