Rate My Professor Emma Wyeth

Professor Emma Wyeth is Professor (Māori Health) and Co-Director of the Ngāi Tahu Māori Health Research Unit in the Department of Preventive and Social Medicine, Division of Health Sciences, at the University of Otago. Of Kāi Tahu, Te Ātiawa, Ngāti Tama, and Ngāti Mutunga descent, she completed her BSc(Hons) and PhD in Genetics at the University of Otago. Her doctoral thesis investigated genetic associations of rheumatoid arthritis and gout in Māori populations while exploring Māori perspectives on genetic research. She joined the Department of Preventive and Social Medicine as an Assistant Research Fellow in 2007 post-PhD. Key career milestones include serving as the inaugural Programme Leader for Research and Development at Te Rūnanga o Ngāi Tahu (2011–2013), HRC Eru Pōmare Post-Doctoral Research Fellow contributing to the Prospective Outcomes of Injury Study (POIS), Associate Dean Māori for Health Sciences, and Chair of the Health Research Council’s Māori Health Committee since 2023. She holds governance roles on boards such as WellSouth Primary Health Network, Te Rūnanga o Ngāi Tahu committees, and the HRC Statutory Māori Health Committee.

Professor Wyeth’s research specializations include Māori health, health inequities, injury and disability outcomes, health systems engagement, and genetic research. She has secured major Health Research Council funding as Principal Investigator for POIS-10 Māori: Outcomes and experiences a decade following injury (2019–2022), Co-Principal Investigator for POIS-10 (2019–2022) and the Trauma Outcomes Project, and previously for an Emerging Researcher Grant on Māori disability outcomes post-injury (2014–2017). She was Co-Deputy Director of Ngā Pae o te Māramatanga (2016–2018) and Principal Investigator for the University of Otago Research Theme Poutama Ara Rau. Selected publications encompass “Experiences of racial discrimination: Qualitative findings from injured New Zealand migrants” (Radka, Derrett, & Wyeth, 2026, Journal of Immigrant & Minority Health), “Kia Whakatōmuri te Haere Whakanua: Applying an Indigenous qualitative method with rangatahi Māori and whānau” (McCarty et al., 2025, MAI Journal), “Can adolescents value the EQ-5D-Y-5L and EQ-5D-5L...” (Sullivan et al., 2025, Value in Health), and “Describing long-term postinjury outcomes for older New Zealanders” (Owen et al., 2025, Australasian Journal on Ageing). Her longitudinal studies have illuminated Māori post-injury disparities, informing health equity policies. Wyeth teaches hauora Māori across undergraduate and postgraduate levels.