MEET THE TEAM
TEAM IMMCOR
ImmCoR is a network of individuals dedicated to protecting and improving the health of all people living in Aotearoa New Zealand. Members share a common goal of identifying causal factors, developing solutions, and advancing evidence-based research to promote equitable vaccine uptake.
The network comprises a diverse group of academics, students, healthcare providers, Māori and Pacific community partners, and key stakeholders from Te Whatu Ora and the Ministry of Health.
Membership in ImmCoR is by invitation. However, if you are passionate about contributing to our mission, we warmly invite you to Contact Us to express your interest in joining the network.
Current ImmCoR Members
ImmCoR Committee Member
Amber Young
amber.young@otago.ac.nz
ORCID ID: 0000-0001-6800-1454
Amber is a researcher and Senior Lecturer with the University of Otago.
ImmCoR Committee Member
Samantha Marsh
sam.marsh@auckland.ac.nz
Samantha is a senior research fellow in the Department of General Practice and
Primary Care and is also
a member of the Triple R research group focused on influenza, and the Vaccine
Preventable Diseases research group at the University of Auckland.
ImmCoR Committee Member
Anna Howe
Anna is a Senior Lecturer in epidemiology at the University of Canterbury and Honorary Research Fellow at the University of Auckland.
ImmCoR Committee Member
Janine Paynter
j.paynter@auckland.ac.nz
Janine is a Senior Research Fellow at the University of Auckland in the Faculty of Medical and Health Sciences.
ImmCoR Committee Member
Isabella Hills
ORCID ID: 0009-0008-8392-0692
Isabella is a research assistant for the Immunisation Advisory Centre and a member of the Triple R project.
Member
Asma Gul
Asma Gul is an early-career researcher with nearly five years of experience in Infection Prevention and Control and a doctoral candidate in the Triple-R programme at the University of Auckland. Her research examines patterns of risk, resilience, and response to acute respiratory infections among diverse Asian communities in Aotearoa New Zealand.
Member
Catherine Gilchrist
c.gilchrist@auckland.ac.nz
Dr Catherine Gilchrist is a Senior Lecturer at the University of Auckland. Her current research interest is in child health and wellbeing, particularly within the Growing Up in New Zealand (https://www.growingup.co.nz/) longitudinal study of child health and development.
Member
Chris Leung
Christopher.Leung@TeWhatuOra.govt.nz
Chris Leung is a whole-of-life authorised vaccinator and community pharmacist. He currently serves as the Pharmacy Engagement Lead for the Northern Region within the National Public Health Service at Te Whatu Ora – Health New Zealand, where he supports pharmacy-based public health initiatives and immunisation efforts across communities.
Member
Esther Willing
esther.willing@otago.ac.nz
Esther is an Associate Professor and Director Kōhatu Centre for Hauora Māori at the University of Otago.
Member
Gabrielle McDonald
gabrielle.mcdonald@otago.ac.nz
Dr Gabrielle is a Senior Research Fellow at the University of Otago as well as a public health physician.
Member
Jamie Tang
ORCID ID: 0009-0000-8787-7849
Jamie is a PhD candidate at the University of Auckland as well as a part of the Vaccine and Datalink Research Group.
Member
Ji Yeon Park
Ji is a Research Fellow at the University of Auckland with over 10 years of experience in nursing, spanning trauma care to infection control consulting. Her research focuses on infection prevention and control, healthcare-associated infections, patient safety, health literacy, and culturally responsive care. She is part of the Triple R project team, examining risk and resilience factors for influenza.
Member
Jo Fowler
Johanna.Fowler@health.govt.nz
Johanna is a registered comprehensive nurse and all of life vaccinator with a predominantly primary care background currently working for the national immunisation office.
Member
Professor Maria Stubbe
maria.stubbe@otago.ac.nz
Maria is Director of the Applied Research on Communication in Health (ARCH) Group at Otago University. She is also a member of the Triple R programme researching responses to influenza and other respiratory viruses.
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Member
Nadia Charania
nadia.charania@aut.ac.nz
Nadia is an Associate Professor in Public Health at Auckland University of Technology, Aotearoa New Zealand. She is also the Deputy Director of the New Zealand Policy Research Institute and Co-Director of the Migrant and Refugee Health Research Centre at AUT.
Member
Richelle Fogarty
Richelle.Fogarty@southerndhb.govt.nz
Richelle is currently working 0.9 position as an Associate Clinical Nurse Manager – Te Punaka employed by Southern as part of Health New Zealand, Te Whatu Ora.
Member
Susan Heydon
Susan is Associate Professor in Social Pharmacy at the University of Otago where she teaches and researches about medicines and society. Susan’s research expertise is in international health, implementation of aid, provision and use of health services in developed and developing countries and interaction between different medical systems. Her focus is on the broader historical, social, political and economic context in which sickness is experienced and healthcare services are provided. She has a background in history and is a fellow of the Australasian College of Tropical Medicine. Her recently published book (2025) is Implementing a global health programme: Smallpox and Nepal.
Member
Thomas Schober
thomas.schober@aut.ac.nz
Thomas Schober is a Senior Research Fellow at the NZ Policy Research Institute at the Auckland University of Technology. His research interests include health, family, and labour economics. He has extensive experience in working with administrative data and applying quantitative econometric methods.
Member
Amy Chan
Dr Amy Chan is Associate Professor and Respiratory lead of the Medicines Intelligence group at the School of Pharmacy, University of Auckland..
Member
Angela Chan
Angela is a Senior Clinical Nurse Adviser for Primary Healthcare at East Health Trust, Primary Health Organisation. She is the Local Immunisation Coordinator for East Health for Cold Chain & Clinical Assessments. She has a strong interest in immunisations and joins as a healthcare professional in this setting.
Member
Arti Chandra
Arti.Chandra@TeWhatuOra.govt.nz
Arti is a Manager in the National Public Health Service focused on Prevention Systems and Quality Improvement Programmes.
Member
Bernadette Heaphy
Bernadette.Heaphy@plunket.org.nz
Immunisation Service Manager, Bernadette is an experienced vaccinator, educator, programme manager in the immunisation, and has been working on Plunket on their immunisation service pilot.
Member
Caroline Hart
Dr Caroline Hart is a consultant paediatrician working as a principal clinical advisor in the National Immunisation Team.
Member
Cass Byrnes
Catherine (Cass) Byrnes is an Associate Professor in the Paediatric Department of the University of Auckland and a Paediatric Respiratory Specialist at Starship Children's Health & Kidz First Hospital.
Member
Christine McIntosh
christine.mcintosh@auckland.ac.nz
Dr Christine is a Senior Research Fellow at the University of Auckland.
Member
Claudelle Pillay
Claudelle.Pillay@TeWhatuOra.govt.nz
Claudelle works for the National Public health Service as an Immunisation Nurse Leader and the Team Leader of the Counties Manukau Aotearoa Immunisation Register Team.
Member
Elisa Weiss
Elisa Weiss is a Clinical Writer at the Immunisation Advisory Centre (IMAC), University of Auckland, and a member of the Triple R research team.
Member
Ellaine Rasch
Ellaine.Rasch@auckland.ac.nz
Ellaine works as a Senior Pacific Advisor for the Immunisation Advisory Centre.
Member
Emma Best
e.best@auckland.ac.nz
ORCHID ID 0000-0002-2667-5458
Emma is Paediatric Infectious disease specialist at Starship Children's Health and Associate Professor in the Faculty of Medical and Health Sciences, Department of Paediatrics Child and Youth Health at the University of Auckland.
Member
Emma Brownless
Emma.Brownless@mercury.co.nz
Emma is a sociology researcher whose primary focus is understanding vaccine attitudes in Aotearoa New Zealand. She has recently completed a Master’s thesis that examined how social relationships, experiences, and emotions shape parents’ COVID-19 vaccine decisions. Her current research is a PhD thesis that focuses on the relationship between vaccine attitudes and how people engage with a broad range of misinformation and disinformation.
Member
Ewan Smith
ewan.smith@auckland.ac.nz
Ewan is a Data Analyst for the Immunisation Advisory Centre.
Member
Dr Felicity Ware
Felicity.Ware@hapai.co.nz
Dr Ware leads the research unit at Hāpai te Hauora the largest Māori public health NGO in Aotearoa. She is also an independent researcher with Pūhoro STEMM Academy supporting rangatahi Māori in science and innovation.
Member
Hannah Chisholm
h.chisholm@auckland.ac.nz
Hannah is a Research Fellow and epidemiologist in the Vaccine Datalink and Research Group at the School of Population Health and the Global Vaccine Data Network. Her fields of research include vaccine effectiveness, vaccine preventable disease epidemiology and public health.
Member
Helen Petousis-Harris
h.petousis-harris@auckland.ac.nz
Helen is an Associate Professor in the General Practice and Primary Healthcare department at the University of Auckland. Her fields of research include infectious diseases and public health.
Member
Huti Watson
huti.watson@npo.org.nz
Huti is the General Manager for Ngati Porou Oranga Centre of Excellence Te Rangawairua o Paratena Ngata, and oversees a range of health research and population / health promotion activities under the auspices of Ngati Porou Oranga, a subsidiary of Te Runanganui o Ngati Porou.
Member
Jason Alexander
Jason.Alexander@Hapai.co.nz
Jason is the Chief Operating Officer at Hapai Te Hauora.
Member
Jo Hilder
jo.hilder@otago.ac.nz
Jo is a Senior Research Fellow at the University of Otago Wellington. An applied linguist with skills in interactional linguistics and conversation analysis, she is a member of the ARCH (Applied Research in Communication in Health) Group.
Member
Lisa Connor
lconnor@malaghan.org.nz
Dr Lisa Connor is the head of the Connor Laboratory and Programme Leader of the Infection and Vaccinology Group at the Malaghan Institute.
Member
Loretta Roberts
l.roberts@auckland.ac.nz
Loretta Roberts is the National Director of the Immunisation Advisory Centre.
Member
Lorraine Castelino
lorraine.castelino@auckland.ac.nz
Lorraine is a Research Programme Manager at the University of Auckland and a psychologist.
Member
Mamaeroa David
mamaeroa.david@auckland.ac.nz
Mamaeroa (Mae) is a General Practitioner as well as the Senior Māori Advisor at the Immunisation Advisory centre. She has also joined the Triple R team investigating risk, resilience and response to influenza.
Member
Mary Roberts
mary@moanaconnect.co.nz
Mary is currently the CEO and formerly the General Manager for the Moana Learning Vaka post-rebranding in 2022 from Moana Research to Moana Connect.
Member
Matthew Hobbs
matthew.hobbs@shu.ac.uk
Dr Matt Hobbs is an Associate Professor and Transforming Lives Fellow in Spatial Data Science and Planetary Health at Sheffield Hallam University. He is also based at the Advanced Wellbeing Research Centre and holds an adjunct appointment as a Senior Fellow in the Faculty of Health, University of Canterbury, New Zealand.
Member
Natalie Gauld
n.gauld@auckland.ac.nz
Natalie is a Honorary Senior Research Fellow at the University of Auckland in the area of paediatrics.
Member
Nigel French
N.P.French@massey.ac.nz
Nigel is Distinguished Professor of Infectious Disease Epidemiology and Public Health at Massey University, New Zealand. He is Emeritus Director - Tangata Tiriti of Te Niwha, the Infectious Diseases Research Platform and Emeritus Director of the New Zealand Food Safety Science and Research Centre.
Member
Nikki Turner
n.turner@auckland.ac.nz
Nikki is an academic General Practitioner. She is a Professor in the Department of General Practice and Primary Care and Principal Medical Advisor for the Immunisation Advisory Centre (IMAC), at the University of Auckland.
Member
Noni Richards
Noni Richards is a registered pharmacist and lecturer at the University of Otago School of Pharmacy. She has a special interest in women's health and immunisation.
Member
Pauline Dawson
pauline.dawson@otago.ac.nz
Pauline is a practising midwife whose aim is to improve outcomes and experiences for families through their childbearing journey.
Member
Peter McIntyre
peter.mcintyre@otago.ac.nz
Peter McIntyre has been a Professor in the Department of Women’s and Children’s Health of the University of Otago since 2018. From 2004 to 2017, he was Director of Australia’s National Centre for Immunisation Research and Surveillance, a Professor in the Discipline of Child and Adolescent Health at the University of Sydney and an infectious disease specialist at the Children’s Hospital, Westmead, Sydney.
Member
Seini Taufa
seini@moanaresearch.co.nz
Dr. Seini Taufa is General Manager for the Research Vaka within Moana Connect, with over sixteen years of research, evaluation, and teaching experience at the University of Auckland.
Member
Te Atarua Davis
Taylor.Davis@hapai.co.nz
Te Atarua came to Hāpai as an intern in 2021, after collecting 6 years of tertiary study across different health sectors under their belt and finally graduated with a BHSc in Public and Environmental Health. They spent a year working on Smokefree clinical & qualitative research and then rejoined Hāpai Te Hauora as in 2023.
They’re ecstatic to be part of Te Puna Whakamaunu, Hapai’s blossoming research team, as a conduit between whānau health aspirations and the systems intended to serve them. When they’re not in the office, they run an art account for takatāpui, Māori and disability activism.
Member
Tony Dowell
tony.dowell@otago.ac.nz
Tony Dowell is Professor of Primary Health Care and Deputy Dean at the University of Otago, Wellington, and a practicing General Practitioner at the Island Bay Medical Centre. Tony's research activities have spanned a wide range of topics relevant to primary care, using both quantitative and qualitative methodologies. Current research themes include: mental health, communication in health care, and quality in health care.
Member
Tony Walls
tony.walls@otago.ac.nz
Tony Walls is a graduate of the University of Otago, having trained in Paediatrics at both Christchurch and Dunedin Hospitals. He trained as a Paediatric Infectious Disease Specialist at the Royal London Hospital and Great Ormond Street Hospital for Sick Children. At this time he completed an MD through the University of London, focusing on adenovirus infection in children following bone marrow transplantation. He has an ongoing clinical interest in the management of infection in immunocompromised children.
Member
Tyler Gray
tyler.gray@npo.org.nz
Tyler is a Research Coordinator for Ngati Porou Oranga Centre of Excellence Te Rangawairua o Paratene Ngata.
Member
Stef Gomes-Ng
stef.gomes-ng@aut.ac.nz
Stef’s research broadly explores the interaction between environmental stimuli, behaviour, and consequences. Much of her research uses behavioural approaches to examine the mechanisms underlying decision making and multiple cue use, and to investigate how reward affects cognitive processes such as attention and memory. She is particularly interested in translational behaviour-analytic research that can be applied to understand behaviour in the "real world".