Associate Professor Karen Brewer

Karen Brewer (Whakatōhea, Ngaiterangi) is a kaupapa Māori researcher, with a background in speech-language therapy. She holds two appointments – Co-DIrector Māori of Pūtahi Manawa | Healthy Hearts Aotearoa New Zealand (CoRE), and Associate Professor in Speech Science, Psychology. 

Karen graduated with a PhD in Speech Science from Waipapa Taumata Rau in 2014. Before that, she spent two years working in the Speech Language Therapy Department at Waikato Hospital. Karen also has a Master of Speech-language Therapy Practice from Waipapa Taumata Rau, and completed a BA in Linguistics at Victoria University of Wellington.

From 2020 to 2023 Karen was a senior research fellow on Manawataki Fatu Fatu for ACCESS, a programme of research funded by the Heart Foundation and Healthier Lives National Science Challenge aiming to achieve equity in cardiovascular disease. The programme integrated qualitative and quantitative studies to investigate access-related gaps in treatment for Māori and Pacific peoples along the cardiovascular healthcare-continuum. Karen worked on the qualitative aspects of this programme, employing kaupapa Māori and Pacific research methodologies in interviews and focus groups with Māori and Pacific patients and their support networks, service providers and policy makers.

Karen was invited to appear before the Waitangi Tribunal as a technical witness (WAI 2736, WAI 1781) in November 2022.

Karen has published her work in journals such as Aphasiology, Journal of Primary Health Care, Journal of the Royal Society of New Zealand, and New Zealand Medical Journal, as well as Speech, Language and Hearing. A recent co-authored article is Karen Marie Brewer, Te Whaawhai Taki, Grace Heays, & Suzanne C. Purdy (2022) Tino rangatiratanga – a rural Māori community’s response to stroke: ‘I’m an invalid but I’m not invalid’, Journal of the Royal Society of New Zealand, DOI: 10.1080/03036758.2022.2132964

Karen has attended and presented at conferences in New Zealand and overseas.

Karen’s research interests are in stroke and aphasia, as well as broader issues of cultural safety and Māori workforce development. During her time at Waikato Hospital, Karen observed the difficulties faced by whānau Māori with stroke. This inspired her PhD about the experiences of Māori with aphasia, their whānau members and speech-language therapists, and subsequent postdoc in which she developed a kaupapa Māori therapy package for stroke-related communication disorders.

Career milestones

• 2023, appointed Co-DIrector Māori of Pūtahi Manawa | Healthy Hearts Aotearoa New Zealand (CoRE)
• 2021, Royal Society Te Apārangi Te Kōpūnui Māori Research Award, for innovative Māori early career researchers with a promising trajectory
• 2021, New Zealand Speech-language Therapists’ Association (NZSTA) Tohu Rangahau. This award recognises research in speech-language therapy celebrating mātauranga and kaupapa Māori
• Health Research Council Eru Pomare post-Doctoral Research Fellowship in Māori Health (2014)