Speakers

The Postgraduate and Early Career Researchers Committee (PERC) from the Dunedin School of Medicine is delighted to announce the following speakers.

Dr Ashley Bloomfield

Dr Ashley Bloomfield is the Director General of Health and Chief Executive at the Ministry of Health. He trained as a medical doctor at the University of Auckland, and later completed a Master’s degree in Public Health. Dr Bloomfield has held several senior leadership roles including Chief Executive at Hutt Valley District Health Board from 2015 to 2018. His primary interest in public health is in the prevention and control of non-communicable diseases. Dr Bloomfield, however, is best known for his influential leadership during New Zealand’s COVID-19 pandemic response.

Professor Jo Baxter

Professor Baxter (Ngāi Tahu, Ngāti Mamoe, Waitaha, Ngāti Apa ki te Rā Tō) is the newly appointed Dean of the Dunedin School of Medicine and is the Co-Director of the Division of Health Science Māori Health Workforce Development Unit. Previously, she has been the Director of Kōhatu Centre for Hauora Māori and Associate Dean Māori in the Division of Health Sciences. Professor Baxter is a public health medicine physician, specialising in epidemiology, equity and Māori health research. She is passionate about improving Māori health outcomes and the importance of leadership in achieving equity. Her leadership roles also include membership of the Ministry of Health’s Health Workforce Advisory Committee and Māori monitoring group for COVID-19.

Dr Sarah Diermeier

Dr Sarah Diermeier is a Senior Lecturer at the Department of Biochemistry, University of Otago and Chief Scientific Officer and Founder at Amaroq Therapeutics. She completed her PhD at the University of Regensburg (Germany) in 2013, and undertook her postdoctoral work at Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory where she collaborated with Ionis Pharmaceuticals to develop breast cancer treatments. Since starting her own lab at the University of Otago, Dr Diermeier’s goal is to use long non-coding RNAs as therapeutic targets for cancer.

Professor Suzanne Pitama

MA (First Class Hons) PGDipEdPsych, PhD (Otago). NZSPsS.

Suzanne is the Dean and the Head of Campus of the University of Otago, Christchurch campus. She is a registered educational psychologist and has been involved in Māori health research and health professional education for over 20 years. Suzanne is focussed on addressing Māori health inequities through medical education, health research and through membership on appropriate committees and boards, which include the Health Research Council of New Zealand Board and was a Director on the Australia Medical Council Ltd. Suzanne has received a number of awards for her teaching including the Prime Minister’s Supreme Award for tertiary teaching excellence and the Indigenous Leadership Award from the Leaders in Indigenous Medical Education (LIME) community of practice. Suzanne was awarded the Joan Metge Medal for her research within the field of Indigenous medical education.