Meetings and members

NMRC meetings

The NMRC will meet quarterly, with the first meeting in August 2023.

NMRC members

The board of Te Tāhū Hauora has appointed seven members to the inaugural NMRC under section 82(1) of the Pae Ora (Healthy Futures) Act 2022 (the Act) for a term of up to three years. The members are as follows.

Dr Liza Edmonds (chair)

Dr Liza Edmonds (Ngāpuhi, Ngāti Whātua) is a neonatal paediatrician with Te Whatu Ora Southern, Senior Clinical Lecturer at Kōhatu Centre for Hauora Māori, University of Otago, Senior Clinical Lecturer for Women’s and Child Health, University of Otago, and clinical advisor for Kahu Taurima, Te Aka Whai Ora.

Liza has extensive experience as a member of various boards and governance groups including Health Research South Board (Otago Medical School), Ronald McDonald House Board, VIP Governance Group (Southern District Health Board), Carosika Collaborative: Pre-term Prevention (Liggins Institute), Aotearoa Neonatal Network (Paediatric Society of New Zealand) and the Child Health Committee (South Island Alliance).

A member of the Perinatal and Maternal Mortality Review Committee for the past 18 months, Liza has made a valuable contribution to the committee’s work. She is also a member of Ngā Pou Arawhenua (Māori caucus of the current committees).

Liza lives in Ōtepoti with her whānau including her tāne Shane and tamariki Jack, George and Maria and has the privilege of working in a team and with whānau every day.

Professor Alastair Woodward (deputy chair)

Deputy chair Alistair Woodward is a Professor of Epidemiology and Biostatistics at the University of Auckland.

With a background in public health medicine and epidemiology, and a focus on environmental health and social determinants, Alistair has been a member of national bodies such as the Board of the Health Research Council of New Zealand and the National Health Committee.

He is currently co-chair of the public health assessing panel for the next round of Performance-Based Research Fund funding.

A Fellow of the New Zealand College of Public Health Medicine, in 2007 he was awarded a Nobel Peace Prize as part of the United Nations Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change team that produced its Fourth Assessment Report.

Alistair has been a member of two expert advisory committees supporting Te Tāhū Hauora, first, for the review of the national mortality review function in 2021/22 and, second, for the transition to the reformed structure in 2023.

Dr Rawiri Keenan

Dr Rawiri Keenan (Te Atiawa, Taranaki) is a specialist general practitioner and Senior Research Fellow in the Department of Primary Health Care and General Practice, University of Otago, and an Adjunct Senior Fellow, Medical Research Centre, University of Waikato. 

Rawiri has been involved in projects on lung cancer, bowel cancer, diabetes and health equity, funded by the Health Research Council of New Zealand. 

For the past four years Rawiri has been involved with Te Tāhū Hauora’s clinical governance group for patient experience surveys.

Dr Fiona Cram

Dr Fiona Cram (Ngāti Pāhauwera) is Director of Katoa Ltd, a kaupapa Māori (by Māori, for Māori) research and evaluation company.

With a background in social and developmental psychology and 25 years’ experience in research and evaluation in the fields of corrections and justice, Fiona has in-depth understanding of the determinants of Māori health and wellbeing. An overarching theme in her work is kaupapa Māori.

The current chair of the Family Violence Death Review Committee and Ngā Pou Arawhenua (Māori caucus of the current committees), she is also on Te Kāhui Piringa in her role as chair of Ngā Pou Arawhenua.

Dr Cram has been a member of two expert advisory committees supporting Te Tāhū Hauora for the review of the national mortality review function in 2021/22, and for the transition to the reformed structure in 2023.

Jackie Burrows

Brought up on the Chatham Islands, Ngā Puhi wahine Jackie Burrows currently serves as the Chief Executive of He Waka Tapu. Based in Christchurch, He Waka Tapu provides health and community services to Māori and all other ethnic groups. Through her wealth of experience spanning over 26 years in various health care sectors, including mental health, addiction and residential services, Jackie has acquired valuable knowledge and expertise. Her most recent accomplishments involve the establishment of suicide prevention services and family violence.

With an extensive network of Māori providers in the South Island, Jackie brings a profound sense of lived experience to her role. Jackie’s personal background also equips her with a deep understanding of whānau suicide and other preventable deaths.

Professor Shanthi Ameratunga

Dr Shanthi Ameratunga is an honorary Professor at the University of Auckland, and Senior Medical Researcher (Population Health Gain) at Te Whatu Ora – Service Improvement and Innovation.

A paediatrician and public health physician, Shanthi is passionate about identifying and eliminating inequities in health outcomes, focusing on professional practices, models of care and the built environment.

Her research has been supported by the Health Research Council of New Zealand, the Heart Foundation, the Accident Compensation Corporation and the Wellcome Trust, among others.

She has published over 350 peer-reviewed papers and her research has informed improvements in immunisation, injury control, youth health, clinical services and accessible transport.

Dr Corina Grey

Dr Corina Grey is a public health physician and epidemiologist with expertise in research, data analysis, health intelligence, strategy and policy development.

Currently Deputy Secretary, Data & Insights at the Ministry for Pacific Peoples, Corina also has a part-time position at the University of Auckland.

In recent years Corina has been a lead author on several important Pacific health publications including the Commission’s Bula Sautu – A window on quality 2021: Pacific health in the year of COVID-19. Since 2020 she has co-led a three-year research programme focused on achieving equity in heart health for Māori and Pacific peoples.

Corina is passionate about amplifying and embedding the voices of consumers, whānau and communities in the health system.