Dr Teah Carlson

Mai i te toka-a-taiau ki te-taumata-ō-Apanui. 

Dr Teah Carlson is a kairangahau/kaupapa Māori researcher and evaluator at SHORE and Whāriki Research Centre, Massey University. She has experience in qualitative methods, strategy and evaluation, especially involving working with Māori communities where collaboration, partnership and participatory community action were key to the research development, process and outcomes. Her strengths are in kaupapa Māori research, evaluation, participatory action research, community psychology, co-design and co-creation. 

Researcher, evaluator, artist and academic. I draw on these identities to express, connect and articulate Indigenous solidarity, self-determination and hope. Community psychology trained and practising as a Post-Doctoral Research Fellow. My work highlights the importance of the Indigenous voice and control with respect to the design and delivery of health services, qualitative methods, strategy and evaluation. She has a PhD in Public Health, which was a Health Research Council-funded project entitled ‘Kaupapa Māori evaluation: Transforming health literacy.’ The doctoral research was about mainstreaming Indigenous health literacy practice, building capacity for institutional change at all levels; health workforce, organisations, systems all contributing towards building health literacy.  The research is grounded on the underpinning principle of self-determination promoting the re-claiming of health literacy as a space for Indigenous peoples to be ourselves, a space that is negotiated, adaptive and shaped by people, whānau and communities.