Advancing Health Equity Through International Collaboration

Professor Tupa’ilevaililigi Ridvan Firestone, a leading Pacific and public health researcher at Massey University’s Centre for Public Health Research in Wellington, has received a prestigious Fulbright Scholar Award. This recognition supports her work developing a youth-focused type 2 diabetes prevention programme tailored for Pacific communities in Aotearoa New Zealand and the United States.

The award will take Professor Firestone to the Fielding School of Public Health at the University of California, Los Angeles, where she will collaborate with experts on co-designing culturally relevant interventions. Her research addresses the disproportionate burden of type 2 diabetes among Pacific peoples, building on years of community-engaged studies conducted across New Zealand.

Understanding the Scale of the Challenge in New Zealand

Type 2 diabetes represents a significant public health concern in Aotearoa New Zealand, particularly within Pacific and Māori populations. Recent findings from Professor Firestone’s team highlight the urgency: in a sample of 276 Wellington school children aged 11 to 13, 35 per cent were identified as being at moderate-to-high risk of prediabetes.

Prediabetes serves as an early warning sign, indicating elevated blood glucose levels that increase the likelihood of progressing to type 2 diabetes if lifestyle and environmental factors remain unchanged. Professor Firestone emphasises that this statistic underscores the need for targeted, youth-oriented prevention strategies rather than generic public health messaging.

Pacific communities in New Zealand experience higher rates of diabetes and related complications compared to the general population. Factors include genetic predispositions combined with rapid lifestyle changes, socioeconomic influences, and barriers to culturally appropriate healthcare. Addressing these requires approaches that respect community knowledge and priorities.

The Fulbright Opportunity and UCLA Partnership

The Fulbright New Zealand Scholar Award enables Professor Firestone to spend a semester at UCLA, working alongside long-term collaborators including Pacific epidemiologist Dr Rebecca Delafield and community-based researcher Dr Nia Aitaoto. Partnerships with organisations such as the Association of Asian Pacific Community Health Organisations and the Pacific Islander Center of Primary Care Excellence will provide valuable insights into sustainable community engagement models.

Access to large and diverse Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander populations in Los Angeles offers a unique comparative perspective. Professor Firestone aims to learn how these agencies build enduring relationships with communities and support lasting health improvements, insights that can inform New Zealand-based programmes.

This international exchange strengthens ties between New Zealand universities and leading US institutions, fostering knowledge transfer that benefits higher education and research capacity in both countries.

Photo by Sung Jin Cho on Unsplash

Co-Design as a Foundation for Effective Prevention

Central to Professor Firestone’s methodology is a co-design framework. Rather than academics directing communities on health actions, this approach positions community members as equal partners in creating solutions. Culturally grounded strategies emerge from listening to lived experiences, understanding social and cultural contexts, and tailoring interventions to available resources and support networks.

Education alone often falls short in driving transformative change. Sustainable programmes succeed when communities take ownership, allowing initiatives to evolve alongside local needs. This philosophy has guided Professor Firestone’s work since 2015, leading teams in developing community-led health prevention efforts for Pacific and Māori youth.

Examples from her prior projects demonstrate how co-design leads to higher engagement and better outcomes. By involving rangatahi and families early, programmes become relevant and accessible, increasing the chances of long-term adherence to healthier behaviours.

Implications for Massey University and New Zealand Higher Education

This Fulbright award highlights Massey University’s strength in Pacific health research and its commitment to addressing pressing societal challenges through rigorous, community-centred scholarship. The Centre for Public Health Research continues to produce impactful work that informs policy and practice across Aotearoa New Zealand.

For the broader higher education sector, such international opportunities enhance academic mobility, enrich curricula with global perspectives, and build networks that support future collaborations. Students and early-career researchers at Massey benefit from exposure to these projects, gaining skills in co-design, cross-cultural research, and public health innovation.

New Zealand universities play a vital role in training the next generation of health researchers equipped to tackle inequities. Awards like this reinforce the value of investing in Pacific-led scholarship within tertiary institutions.

Building on Previous Research Successes

Professor Firestone’s Fulbright builds directly on earlier achievements. Her team’s 2025 findings on prediabetes risk among Wellington youth provide a strong evidence base. Previous funding, including Health Research Council support, has enabled the development of wellness programmes for rangatahi.

These efforts align with national priorities around reducing health disparities. By focusing on prevention rather than treatment alone, the research contributes to broader goals of improving wellbeing and reducing healthcare system pressures.

Collaborations with Pacific agencies in both countries ensure that findings translate into practical tools that communities can sustain independently.

Photo by Y K on Unsplash

Future Outlook and Broader Impact

Upon returning from UCLA, Professor Firestone plans to apply lessons learned to refine and expand youth diabetes prevention initiatives in New Zealand. The emphasis on sustainable relationships and culturally tailored approaches promises programmes that resonate deeply with Pacific families.

Success could serve as a model for other health challenges facing diverse populations. The co-design principles demonstrated here have potential applications in mental health, nutrition, and chronic disease management across multiple communities.

International exchanges like the Fulbright programme ultimately strengthen New Zealand’s research ecosystem, positioning its universities as global leaders in equitable health solutions.

Opportunities for Academics and Researchers

Scholars interested in similar paths can explore Fulbright New Zealand awards, which support academics, artists, and professionals in conducting research or lecturing in the United States. Massey University encourages applications that advance Pacific health and community wellbeing.

Engagement with organisations such as the Health Research Council provides additional funding pathways for Pacific-focused studies. Building partnerships with community groups remains essential for impactful work.

Higher education institutions across New Zealand continue to seek faculty who bring expertise in co-design methodologies and culturally responsive research practices.