BA George Washington University, Washington, D.C – MPA University of Hawaii-Mānoa, Honolulu, Hawaii – PhD University of Otago, Dunedin, NZ. Research Fellow, Centre for Pacific Health, University of Otago | Research and Insights Lead, Oamaru Pacific Island Trust.

Bio:

Of Tuvaluan and Welsh descent, Dr. Jane Taafaki is a dedicated public health researcher and educator with over two decades of experience advancing Pacific health equity. Since 1998, she has worked as a public health educator and led health workforce development programmes focused on Pacific communities across Aotearoa New Zealand. Her work provides valuable insights into the intersection of migration, identity, and rural health service delivery for Pacific populations.

She currently serves as a Research Fellow at the Centre for Pacific Health – Va’a O Tautai – at the University of Otago, and as the Research and Insights Lead for the Oamaru Pacific Island Trust (OPIT). In these roles, Jane actively bridges academic research with community-driven health initiatives to improve outcomes for Pacific peoples, particularly in rural settings.

Her current research portfolio includes several collaborative projects with the University of Otago’s Department of General Practice and Rural Health and Department of Physiotherapy, addressing critical issues such as the impacts of COVID-19 on Pacific communities, rural health inequities, and long-term musculoskeletal injuries among Pasifika meat workers. Through her work, Jane continues to advocate for culturally responsive, evidence-informed, and community-centred health solutions.

Jane and her husband Antonius live in Oamaru, Aotearoa New Zealand, where they are raising their three daughters, aged 21, 18, and 9.

Her topics include:

• Pacific Health
• Rural Pacific health
• Cultural safety
• Pacific research 
• Engaging with Pacific communities
• Migration and health.