Rate My Professor Sarah-Jane Paine

Professor Sarah-Jane Paine is a Professor in Te Kupenga Hauora Māori at the University of Auckland’s Faculty of Medical and Health Sciences. She grew up in Wairoa, Hawke’s Bay, and was the first in her family to obtain a university degree after attending Nelson College for Girls. She holds a BSc in anatomy and structural biology and an MSc in reproductive biology from the University of Otago, followed by a PhD in Public Health from Massey University. As a kaupapa Māori epidemiologist, her research focuses on Māori public health, with particular emphasis on the health of mothers and babies, sleep health inequities in Indigenous populations, and the influence of social context on sleep/wake patterns. She has contributed to shifting international perspectives by demonstrating that poor sleep is often linked to poverty rather than individual behaviour. Paine previously directed the Tomaiora Research Group at Te Kupenga Hauora Māori and has been involved with Growing Up in New Zealand since 2018, serving as its Research Director since 2022. In this role she oversees Aotearoa New Zealand’s largest contemporary longitudinal study of child development, applying kaupapa Māori principles to ensure Māori voices are central to data collection and reporting. She teaches Māori health and kaupapa Māori research methods at undergraduate and postgraduate levels, supervises postgraduate students, and has received awards including a 2007 Fulbright scholarship that supported work at Harvard University and multiple Health Research Council grants. Her work explores how social and economic inequities affect Indigenous health outcomes and she continues to advance these areas through ongoing research and engagement.

Paine is a parent of three children and draws inspiration from her whānau in her professional contributions. She maintains an active role in national and international discussions on Indigenous health, including recent presentations on the impact of school experiences on teen mental health drawn from Growing Up in New Zealand data. Her career reflects a commitment to embedding Māori perspectives in public health research and policy.