Exceptional PhD Theses are awarded when all three examiners of a candidate’s thesis agree that the thesis is among the top 10 per cent of theses examined, so it is with great pleasure to congratulate Jane Taafaki on receiving this accolade!

An exceptional person as well as an exceptional thesis, Jane’s PhD is titled “The lived experiences of rural Tuvaluans navigating the Aotearoa New Zealand healthcare system” & her Primary Supervisor was Dr Jude Sligo.

Jane asked participants from Oamaru and Dunedin to record their interactions with the health care system through photovoice – a research method where participants use photographs to illustrate their experiences.  Her findings contribute to the increasing body of Tagata Pasifika health research in New Zealand and will make a positive contribution to improved health outcomes of not only Tuvaluans but by extension other Pasifika peoples in New Zealand.

For more information on Jane & her research see the Otago Bulletin here