Kāhui Ārahi | Research Leadership Team
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Professor Sarah-Jane Paine
Tūhoe
Waipapa Taumata Rau, University of Auckland
Professor Sarah-Jane Paine (Tūhoe) is a leading Māori health researcher and internationally respected authority on…
Professor Sarah-Jane Paine
Professor Sarah-Jane Paine (Tūhoe) is a leading Māori health researcher and internationally respected authority on Indigenous child wellbeing. She is Research Director and Principal Investigator of Growing Up in New Zealand, Aotearoa’s flagship longitudinal study of child development, and a Professor at Te Kupenga Hauora Māori, Waipapa Taumata Rau, University of Auckland.
Her work in Kaupapa Māori epidemiology has influenced national policy in maternal and child health, racism and child wellbeing, food security, and youth wellbeing. Known for combining scientific rigour with strong community partnerships, she ensures research translates into meaningful outcomes for whānau and communities.
Professor Paine is an internationally recognised leader in Indigenous research, contributing to global initiatives including The Lancet Commission on Racism and Child Health. She is widely respected for mentoring emerging leaders and for strengthening connections between research, policy, and communities. In 2025, she received the University of Auckland Research Impact Award, recognising the real-world difference of her work for tamariki and whānau.
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Dr Daniel Wilson
Ngāpuhi, Ngāti Pikiao
Ngā Pae o te Māramatanga
Daniel Wilson is a lecturer in Computer Science at Waipapa Taumata Rau | University of Auckland. His teaching and…
Dr Daniel Wilson
Daniel Wilson is a lecturer in Computer Science at Waipapa Taumata Rau | University of Auckland. His teaching and research are in the areas of AI, Māori Data Sovereignty, Māori Algorithmic Sovereignty, and AI ethics. Daniel is a member of Te Pokapū in The Māori Data Sovereignty Network Te Mana Raraunga, Co-Director of the Centre of Machine Learning for Social Good, member of the Kāhui Māori for the AI Forum, treasurer of the AI Researchers Association, and an establishment member of the AI in Health Research Network. Daniel has a PhD in Philosophy and a Master of Professional Studies in Data Science from Waipapa Taumata Rau. His first job in software development involved maintaining code to avoid the Y2K bug.
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Associate Professor Deborah Heke
Ngā Puhi, Te Arawa
Te Whare Wananga o Wairaka Unitec
Associate Professor Deborah Heke (Ngā Puhi, Te Arawa) is the Director of Ngā Wai a Te Tūī Māori and Indigenous Research…
Associate Professor Deborah Heke
Associate Professor Deborah Heke (Ngā Puhi, Te Arawa) is the Director of Ngā Wai a Te Tūī Māori and Indigenous Research Centre at Unitec. With a background in Exercise Physiology, Psychology, and Public Health, her current research centres on Mana Wahine scholarship. Recent work includes an exploration of Māori and Indigenous women’s embodied practices and physical activity in te taiao as a means for connecting, communicating, and healing. Deborah is also passionate about building the capability and capacity of Māori and Indigenous (future) scholars and providing spaces for Indigenous creativity and excellence in academia. She is an alumna of Auckland University of Technology, MAI ki Aronui, and the Eke Tangaroa Māori and Pacific Early Career Academic programme at AUT.
She currently leads Te Kupenga o MAI as MAI Strategy Lead.
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Professor Melinda Webber
Ngāti Hau, Ngāti Hine, Te Paatu / Ngāti Kahu, Ngāti Whakaue
Ngā Pae o te Māramatanga
Ngā Pae o te Māramatanga Co-Director Melinda Webber is Professor of Education at Te Pūtahi Mātauranga | The Faculty of…
Professor Melinda Webber
Ngā Pae o te Māramatanga Co-Director Melinda Webber is Professor of Education at Te Pūtahi Mātauranga | The Faculty of Arts and Education, Waipapa Taumata Rau | University of Auckland. Melinda specialises in Māori Education and Social Psychology and is the Aotearoa New Zealand co-director of the Atlantic Fellows for Social Equity programme based at The University of Melbourne. She wrote Walking the space between: Identity and Māori/Pakeha (NZCER Press, 2008), co-wrote A fire in the belly of Hineāmaru A collection of narratives about Te Tai Tokerau tupuna & Ka ngangana tonu a Hineāmaru - He kōrero tuku iho nō Te Tai Tokerau (Auckland University Press, 2022), and co-edited Sociocultural realities: Exploring new horizons (Canterbury University Press, 2015) and Mana Tangatarua: Mixed heritages and biculturalism in Aotearoa/New Zealand (Routledge, 2017).
Melinda has led research with and for her iwi, hapū, and numerous educational organisations utilising a diverse range of research methods. She is committed to the revitalisation of mātauranga tuku iho and kaupapa-ā-iwi research approaches. Melinda is a daughter of Te Tai Tokerau (Ngāti Hau, Ngāti Hine, Te Paatu / Ngāti Kahu) and Rotorua (Ngāti Whakaue) and lives in Tāmaki Makaurau with her partner and daughters.
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Associate Professor Karyn Paringatai
Ngāti Porou
Te Tumu - University of Otago
Karyn is a lecturer in Te Tumu – School of Māori, Pacific and Indigenous Studies at the University of Otago, where she…
Associate Professor Karyn Paringatai
Karyn is a lecturer in Te Tumu – School of Māori, Pacific and Indigenous Studies at the University of Otago, where she obtained her BA (Hons), MA and PhD degrees. Her teaching and research interests are in a number of areas that intersect at various points that include: Sociological issues surrounding Māori urbanisation and Māori identity development and maintenance; Māori performing arts, particularly poi, the analysis of haka and waiata compositions and the role kapa haka plays in identity; Grammatical aspects of the Māori language and second language acquisition; and Māori teaching methodologies. She is a co-director of an Otago Research Theme, Poutama Ara Rau, was awarded the Prime Minister’s Supreme Award for Tertiary Teaching Excellence in 2014, and is part way through a Marsden funded research project looking at the socio-cultural impact of genetic research.
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Professor Tahu Kukutai FRSNZ
Ngāti Tiipā, Ngāti Kinohaku, Te Aupouri, Ngāti Māhanga
Ngā Pae o te Māramatanga
Ngā Pae o te Māramatanga Co-Director Tahu Kukutai is Professor of Demography at Te Ngira: Institute for Population…
Professor Tahu Kukutai FRSNZ
Ngā Pae o te Māramatanga Co-Director Tahu Kukutai is Professor of Demography at Te Ngira: Institute for Population Research, The University of Waikato where she specialises in Māori and Indigenous demography and data sovereignty. Tahu is a founding member of the Māori Data Sovereignty Network Te Mana Raraunga and the Global Indigenous Data Alliance. She co-edited Indigenous data sovereignty: Toward an agenda (ANU Press, 2016), Indigenous data sovereignty and policy (Routledge, 2020) and The Oxford Handbook of Indigenous Sociology (Oxford) .
Tahu has undertaken research with and for numerous iwi, hapū, and central government agencies, and provided strategic advice across a range of sectors. She is a technician for the National Iwi Chairs Forum Data Iwi Leaders Group and serves on the Board of Pūhoro STEMM Academy. Tahu has degrees in history, demography and sociology from The University of Waikato and Stanford University. She lives in Waikato with her husband, three tamariki and three cats.
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Associate Professor Meegan Hall
Ngāti Ranginui, Ngāti Tūwharetoa
Te Herenga Waka Victoria University of Wellington
Meegan teaches courses on higher education learning and teaching and hosts teaching orientations and events. Most of…
Associate Professor Meegan Hall
Meegan teaches courses on higher education learning and teaching and hosts teaching orientations and events. Most of her teaching is to lecturers and tutors whilst she also contributes to the programme offered by Te Kawa a Māui, the School of Māori Studies, such as their introductory course about Māori society and culture and their postgraduate course about Māori research methodologies.
Her research interests lie in Māori academic development, Māori pedagogies, Māori student achievement and retention in higher education.
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Paora Sharples
Ngāti Kahungunu, Ngāti Porou
Ngā Pae o te Māramatanga
Paora is Kaihautu Tikanga (Te reo me ngā tikanga Māori leader) at NPM and also a Professional Teaching Fellow at the…
Paora Sharples
Paora is Kaihautu Tikanga (Te reo me ngā tikanga Māori leader) at NPM and also a Professional Teaching Fellow at the Department of Māori Studies, University of Auckland where he lectures in Kapahaka, Traditional & Contemporary Māori Performing Arts and Te Reo Māori.
He has had a significant career in kapahaka as well as traditional and contemporary Māori performing arts, including areas of performing, teaching/training, directing, judging as well as choreography and composition within this indigenous genre of dance.
Paora has also spent 30 years developing, teaching and promoting the art of Māori weaponry, empowering thousands of students both nationally and internationally within the ceremonial, performing and fighting art that is Mau Rakau.
He is a past CEO of Hoani Waititi Marae and also of Te Whare Tu Taua o Aotearoa Inc, has fulfilled a number of consultancy and advisory roles nationally and has performed, spoken and taught at a large number of international and national events.
Paora is the current leader of the cultural group Te Ropū Manutaki, and fulfils an ongoing role judging regional, national and international Kapahaka competitions.
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Professor Helen Moewaka Barnes FRSNZ
Ngāti Wai, Ngāti Hine, Ngāti Manu
Massey University
Professor Helen Moewaka Barnes is based out of Massey University and is currently Director of Whāriki and Co-director…
Professor Helen Moewaka Barnes FRSNZ
Professor Helen Moewaka Barnes is based out of Massey University and is currently Director of Whāriki and Co-director of the SHORE and Whariki Research Centre. She has worked on research in many areas; more recently relationships between the health of people and the health of environments, sexual coercion, alcohol and youth well-being and identity.
Her work is both qualitative and quantitative and she is also involved in developing research within Māori paradigms. Helen is a long time NPM researcher and is now a NPM Theme Leader (Te Tai Ao - Natural Environment ) and member of our Research Leadership Team.
Related Projects
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Dr Shaun Awatere
Ngāti Porou
Manaaki Whenua
Shaun Awatere (Ngāti Porou) is a resource economist for Landcare Research in Hamilton. He has been working to improve…
Dr Shaun Awatere
Shaun Awatere (Ngāti Porou) is a resource economist for Landcare Research in Hamilton. He has been working to improve the incorporation of Mātauranga Māori (Māori knowledge and values) into local government planning by developing the systems and processes that will enable Māori values to be integrated into urban design and development.