Rate My Professor Talai Mapusua

Mapusua’s research interests focus on Pacific peoples’ health, particularly Pacific women’s health outcomes. She is a member of the research team for the Brain Research New Zealand-funded project exploring the needs of Pacific families affected by age-related cognitive impairment, alongside colleagues including Dr Vanda Symon, Professor Pauline Norris, and Associate Professor Rosalina Richards. Key publications include co-authorship on “Ko au tēnei: This is me. Exploring the lived experience of underrepresented groups with pharmacy services to inform the development of pharmacy case-based learning” (Currents in Pharmacy Teaching & Learning, 2024); “Is parent education a factor in identifying autism/takiwātanga in an ethnic cohort of Pacific children in Aotearoa, New Zealand? A national cross-sectional study using linked administrative data” (Autism, 2024); and “'Fofola le fala': Inviting everyone on to the mat: Embedding Pacific pedagogies and culture into the Pacific & Global Health major at the University of Otago” (TERNZ Conference Proceedings, 2022). For her innovative integration of Pacific pedagogies, she received the University of Otago Award for Excellence in Teaching with endorsement for supporting Pacific Learners in 2023 and an Ako Pacific Professional Development Scholarship. Beyond academia, she connects Samoan youth in Dunedin to their culture through the ‘Penina o le Moana’ Siva Samoa Programme for young girls and the ‘So’oula o Samoa’ cultural group offering workshops on Samoan customs and traditions.