Team Leader - Kaaren Mathias

Kaaren Mathias is a public health physician who researches and teaches community-based public and global health with a particular interest in participatory methodologies, group interventions and the mental health of young people in the settings of Aotearoa NZ and North India. She is based in the Faculty of Health at the University of Canterbury and is also programme coordinator for the Bachelor of Health programme. 

Lead Researcher - Rebecca Mitchell

Rebecca Mitchell is a researcher with nearly two decades of experience working with marginalised groups looking at how to improve access to essential services like healthcare, education, and nutrition. Rebecca will lead the research components of this project, with support from the rest of the team. 

Research Advisor - Jalal Mohammed

Jalal Mohammed is an expert in public health, health systems strengthening, and sustainable development, with extensive experience across the Asia-Pacific region. He is a respected researcher, educator, and consultant, committed to advancing health equity, social justice, and innovative solutions for global health challenges. 

Youth Advisory Group Lead - Betty Morgan

Betty is a PhD student at the University of Canterbury exploring the influence of health relationships on youth mental health outcomes. Betty is a youth researcher who is passionate about celebrating youth voices. Betty is leading our Youth Advisory Group. 

Youth Advisory Group

Taim Lightwood

Taim Lightwood is the Chair of the Board for the NZ Refugee Youth Council, dedicated to amplifying youth voices and creating opportunities for young people to thrive. Passionate about leadership, advocacy, and community empowerment, he works to ensure refugee and migrant youth are heard, valued, and supported to reach their full potential. 

Josiah Edwin

Josiah is an avid knitter who loves getting lost along winding Wellington roads on his motorbike. In his spare time, he is completing his training as a doctor at the Wellington Hospital. Josiah is part of the Youth Advisory Group for this project. 

Meretene Davis

Denzel Chung

Spending his youth in Malaysia and Aotearoa New Zealand, Denzel is a final-year medical student and a PhD researcher, focusing on ethnic Chinese experiences of mental health services in Aotearoa New Zealand. His work has been published in The Economist, the NZ Medical Journal and The Conversation, among others.

Orion Tipuna

Orion is a Māori/Pasifika student studying at the University of Canterbury with a passion for learning and understanding the underlying mechanisms behind mental condiitons such as ASD, with hopes for using that knowledge to support those affected. Orion is part of our Youth Advisory Group.  

Research Advisor - Emily Cavana

Emily Cavana is a Specialist General Practitioner working exclusively in youth health and Senior Lecturer at the University of Otago, Wellington in the Department of Primary Health Care and General Practice. Emily works as a GP at Vibe, a YOSS in the Hutt Valley and is a research advisor for this project.  

Research Advisor - Jake Aitken

Jake Aitken (Ngāti Ruapani, Ngāti Manawa, Ngāi Tūhoe) is a Specialist General Practitioner, Senior Professional Practice Fellow and early career researcher at the University of Otago, Wellington. Jake hopes to utilise his strong foundation in te reo Māori and te ao Māori to inform alongside his clinical knowledge to help inform this research work. 

YOSS Palmerston North – Trissel Eriksen

Trissel (Ngātī Pūkenga) is the Director at the Youth One Stop Shop in Palmerston North. Trissel is also social worker and has been at YOSS since 1996. 

The 502 Rangatahi Ora in Porirua – Reo Va’a

Reo is the Hauora Team Lead AOD/CEP clinician at The 502 Rangatahi Ora in Porirua, Aotearoa's first Iwi led, kaupapa Maori Rangatahi One-Stop-Shop for 10 - 25-year-olds.  With a team of Doctors, Nurses, Counsellors, Clinical Psychologists and Youth Workers, through a Whanau Ora lens, we collaborate and integrate Maori and Western models of practice to support Rangatahi and their whanau.

Village Collective Auckland – Taitu’uga Rokeni Tofaeono and Yvette Sapatu

Taitu'uga Rokeni Tofaeono is the Chief Executive of Village Collective. He was one of the first team members when the organization was established as Family, Life, Education, Pasifika (FLEP) in 1997 and later served on the Board. In 2024, he returned to Village Collective to lead the team, brining with him a deep connection to its grassroots beginnings. Proudly Samoan, he holds the chiefly title of Taitu'uga. 

Yvette Sapatu is the Administrator and Media Coordinator at Village Collective. Her journey began in the Talavou Village Leadership Group, where she progressed from a young participant to Youth Activator. In 2024, she stepped into her current role, managing administration, media coordination, and data management across Village Collective's clinic and wider operations. She is passionate about growing her skills in data and research to further benefit South Auckland communities. Yvette will be leading our research within Village Collective.

Number 10 Southland Youth One Stop Shop – Jude Crump

Jude Crump is a Registered Nurse who has been Director of Number 10 for three years. She started working in youth health in 2010. Jude will support our research at Number10.  

Te Tahi Youth Christchurch – Fiona Kay

Fiona is the General Manager at Te Tahi Youth, a Youth One Stop Shop in Ōtautahi. Fiona has been working one way or another with rangatahi for over 8 years now and has a passion to see rangatahi be the best version of themselves.

Anamata Taupō – Ross Mortimer

Taiohi Tūrama - Rotorua Centre for Youth – Jen Murray

Jen is the CEO at Taiohi Tūrama – Rotorua Centre for Youth in Rotorua.  Jen has worked in several leadership/management roles in health, not-for-profit, local authority and education sectors and has been in her current role at Taiohi Tūrama for over 7 years. Jen has a strong passion for social justice and youth and strives to ensure that Rotorua young people reach their full potential.