Rate My Professor Heena Akbar

Dr Heena Akbar is a Pacific Fijian Senior Lecturer in the School of Public Health at the University of Queensland, with extensive experience in community development research and teaching across Australian and international higher education sectors. She holds a Bachelor (Honours) from Queensland University of Technology, a Masters (Research) in Public Health from the University of Queensland, and a Doctor of Philosophy from Queensland University of Technology awarded in 2018 for her thesis on the socio-cultural context of managing type 2 diabetes in Australian Pacific Islander women living in Queensland. Her career emphasizes integrating community participatory action research and Indigenous perspectives with social justice principles to promote equitable health and wellbeing.

Dr Akbar's research centers on the health and wellbeing of Māori and Pasifika communities, with a focus on women's health, chronic condition prevention and management, and cultural and social determinants of health for First Nations Peoples, including Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities. She co-developed the Pasifika Women’s Diabetes Wellness Program and employs strength-based approaches and Pacific Indigenous frameworks to address health inequities, influencing policy for improved outcomes among Māori and Pasifika peoples in Australia and internationally. Key publications include the book Pasifika Women’s Diabetes Wellness Program (2022, co-authored with Winnie Niumata and Aunty Wynn Te Kani); book chapters such as Pasifika Women’s Diabetes Wellness Program: A community-led initiative for health and wellbeing changes in Australia (2026) and Digital talanoa improves Pacific women's wellness living with diabetes (2026); and journal articles like Insights from Pacific Islander and Māori community members: talanoa on medication adherence and type 2 diabetes management in Queensland (2026, AlterNative), CSANZ and ACRA position statement on quality use of telehealth in cardiovascular care (2026, Heart, Lung and Circulation), and Effectiveness of the Pasifika Women’s Diabetes Wellness Program (PWDWP): Protocol for a pilot intervention and feasibility RCT study (2023, JMIR Research Protocols). She leads NHMRC-funded projects including the South Asian Genes and Health in Australia Study (2026-2027) and Pasifika and Maori Alliance for Type 2 Diabetes care (2025-2027), and supervises HDR students on diabetes management, food security, and health services for priority populations. Dr Akbar teaches courses on Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health, Public Health, and Social Determinants of Health.