Rate My Professor Isaiah Immanuel

Dr. Isaiah Immanuel serves as a Research Assistant in the Department of Paediatrics at the University of Otago, Christchurch, within the Division of Health Sciences. A medical graduate originally from a village near Lautoka, Fiji, he brings firsthand insight into the challenges of managing chronic diseases in underserved communities. Growing up, he observed poorer health outcomes due to delays in care and treatment, which informs his current research focus on health disparities among Pasifika populations in Aotearoa New Zealand.

Dr. Immanuel is leading a one-year study funded by Research for Children Aotearoa to examine why Pasifika youth with type 1 diabetes experience poorer disease control. Shoulder-tapped by department leaders Dr. Kiki Maoate and Associate Professor Tony Walls, he took time from clinical work for this project, igniting his interest in child health research. Analysis of paediatric endocrine data shows little improvement over five years in HbA1c levels, insulin pump usage (only one in seven Pasifika patients use them), and continuous glucose monitoring (Pasifika patients five times less likely due to costs of $4,000 to $10,000). Interviews with specialist nursing teams in Auckland and Wellington reveal barriers such as language, cultural differences, parental work schedules, and access to services. These issues lead to higher hospitalization rates among Pasifika children, who comprise 7% of cases but face greater risks of acute and long-term complications like ketoacidosis, vision loss, kidney damage, and nerve issues. He presented at the 2022 George Abbott Symposium on 'Diabetes Mellitus Type 1 in Pasifika Children – We can do better' and holds a part-time clinical trainee role at Etu Pasifika Clinic. His work aims to inform a tailored care model for Pasifika families.