Rate My Professor Makarena Dudley

Associate Professor Makarena Dudley is an academic in the School of Psychology at the University of Auckland, where she has held an appointment since January 2016. She serves as Deputy Director (Māori) of the University’s Centre for Brain Research. Dudley holds a PhD in Neuropsychology from the University of Waikato. Her academic work centres on clinical neuropsychology with a focus on culturally responsive approaches to brain health and dementia care for Māori communities.

Dudley was the first permanent Māori clinical psychology lecturer employed at the University of Auckland. She has been recognised with appointment as a Member of the New Zealand Order of Merit in the 2025 New Year Honours for services to people with dementia, particularly Māori. In 2020 she was elected a Fellow of Alzheimer’s New Zealand. Her research addresses advancing brain health equity with Indigenous peoples and adapting neuropsychological practices to incorporate Māori perspectives.