Associate Professor Elana Taipapaki Curtis

Dr Elana Taipapaki Curtis (Ngāti Rongomai, Ngāti Pikiao, Te Arawa) is a Public Health Physician, Associate Professor at Te Kupenga Hauora Māori, University of Auckland and Director Taikura Consultants Limited (www.taikura.net.nz).

Elana was Director Vision 20:20 at the University of Auckland from 2011 to 2022. This role provided academic leadership of Hikitia Te Ora - Certificate in Health Sciences (bridging/foundation education for Māori and Pacific), Māori and Pacific Admission Scheme (MAPAS, admission and retention support for Māori and Pacific students) and the Whakapiki Ake Project (WAP, Māori recruitment).

In 2004-2005, Elana was a Harkness Fellow in Healthcare Policy based at the University of California (San Francisco) - investigating ethnic disparities in breast cancer mortality and survival. Prior to this, Elana worked at the National Screening Unit, Ministry of Health in Wellington where she investigated Maori:non-Maori disparities in breast cancer epidemiology, and at Te Ropū Rangahau Hauora ā Eru Pōmare – Māori Health Research Centre at the University of Otago investigating ethnic disparities in access to invasive cardiovascular procedures/caesarean sections and the relationship between disparities and deprivation.

She submitted her Doctorate of Medicine (MD) in 2017 focused on indigenous health workforce development. She has been involved in quantitative and qualitative Kaupapa Māori Research investigating the teaching of indigenous health within medical education, ethnic inequities within emergency department settings, ethnic inequities in cardiovascular care, racism in healthcare and health outcomes and COVID-19 inequities for Māori. She has a growing research profile focused on cultural safety, cultural competency and Indigenous health.