We will be running our second annual COMPASS Community Session on Friday 9 May 2025 from 10:00AM to 2:00PM, generously hosted once again by Langimalie Research Centre in Manukau. We will have a series of presentations on our research involving community groups, followed by a talanoa/panel discussion involving both academics and community advocates, after a catered lunch on site.
If you would like to join us either in person or on our Zoom livestream, please:
We are limited to an audience of 20 in person, so please be sure to get in quick, and also let us know there if you have any dietary requirements.
Langimalie Research Centre is located at M20 Business Park, 86F Plunket Avenue, Manukau.
Agenda
| 09:30–10:00 | Morning tea (catered) |
| 10:00–10:15 | Opening lotu (prayer) and welcome Rev. Sela Havili, Project Manager, The Selwyn Foundation Dr Ofa Dewes MNZM, Director, Langimalie Research Centre |
| 10:15–12:00 | Research talks (see abstracts below as we receive them) 10:15 Introducing COMPASS and our research Professor Barry Milne, Director, COMPASS Research Centre Building 10:50 Treatment inequities in multiple sclerosis 11:10 How can researchers and community groups work together to move the dial for change? 11:30 Mental health in Pacific Peoples |
| 12:00–12:45 | Light lunch (catered) |
| 12:45‑13:45 | Talanoa/panel discussion: Working together to promote positive change |
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Moderator:
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Dr Lisa Underwood, COMPASS Research Centre |
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Panellists:
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Dr Anae Neru Leavasa, Clinical Director, The Cause Collective
Rich Easton, CEO, Neurological Foundation; Chair, Neurological Alliance Greer Pugh, PhD Candidate, Physiology, University of Auckland Dr Natalie Gauld, Research Advisor and Best Practice Advocate, Motor Neurone Disease NZ; Honorary Senior Research Fellow, University of Auckland |
| 13:45–14:00 | Closing remarks Professor Barry Milne, Director, COMPASS Research Centre Lotu – Rev. Sela Havili, Project Manager, The Selwyn Foundation |
Presentations abstracts
Building
Mental blocks to brain health among older adults: Pacific cultures
Brain conditions or injury can seriously weaken the qualities that define the strength, respect, and regular activities of one of our most underserved population groups – older adults. The brain is described as “seat of intelligence”, “interpreter of senses”, “initiator of body movement”, and “controller of behaviour”. In this study, the brain is described by one of our participants as “a machine, a working machine”.
To understand what keeps this machine working, we investigated how Pacific older adults engage with and participate in service provision and social contexts, and how such participation impacts their wellness and wellbeing, and in later life. We applied a culturally-centred approach to unlock the potential of diverse Pacific population groups and build insights into working practices to maintain brain health that become routine at home, in the community, and among service providers. We also analysed administrative data to define the cohort and identify the status of stroke, traumatic brain injury, dementia and mental health.
Our findings reinforce the building blocks for ethnic-specific and culturally-appropriate interventions and resources to maintain brain health among Pacific older adults living in New Zealand.
Treatment inequities in multiple sclerosis
Multiple sclerosis is a chronic inflammatory disease of the central nervous system. We used StatsNZ’s Integrated Data Infrastructure (IDI), a large linked research database of de-identified microdata about people and households, to:
- identify people likely to have been diagnosed with multiple sclerosis; and
- test for ethnic and socioeconomic inequities of dispensing patterns for disease-modifying therapies.
Inequities were apparent across ethnic groups and levels of socioeconomic position.
How can researchers and community groups work together to move the dial for change?
Community groups are often asked to provide evidence to support their efforts to advocate for policy and practice changes, request funding, or apply to Pharmac for improved medicine access. A key barrier to this is the limited capacity of community groups to access or produce such data. They might not have knowledge about what data are available or how it can obtained, or the resources to analyse existing data and/or collect new data.
On the other hand, researchers often have data that could be utilised by community groups, but they might lack awareness of what evidence is needed and by whom, or the ability (and funding) for meaningful knowledge translation for community groups.
In this talk, I give examples of COMPASS research that has been developed in partnership with community groups or provided much needed evidence to such groups. The presentation includes a summary of resources available from COMPASS projects, opportunities for collaboration, and top tips for community groups on how to access data.
Mental health in Pacific Peoples
This presentation explores the characteristics of Pacific Peoples with mental health conditions using data from the New Zealand Health Survey (NZHS). To instil a Pacific perspective into our interpretations, we adapted an eight-step “tivaivai taorei” framework, which draws on concepts, practices, and values reflected in the making of an indigenous Cook Islands quilt.
We highlight sociodemographic associations with anxiety, depression, and psychological distress in Pacific adults, and with emotional and behavioural problems in Pacific children. Our findings provide insights into realising a healthy and thriving population of Pacific Peoples, and reveal the need to improve the representation of Pacific Peoples in health surveys.
Panellist bios
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Dr Anae Neru Leavasa is a dedicated health leaders, Specialist General Practitioner, and Clinical Director for The Cause Collective. With extensive experience in primary healthcare and health policy as a former Member of Parliament, he plays a key role in shaping equitable health strategies for Pacific communities in South Auckland.
Anae supports The Cause Collective’s Practice Network Team, which works with 44 clinics and over 140,000 enrolled patients to ensure culturally-responsive and community-centred care. He continues to champion system change, workforce development, and improvements in health outcomes, using innovative health solutions in the communities he serves. |
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Rich Easton is the CEO of the Neurological Foundation of New Zealand, a charity that funds neurological research and education/awareness. He is the current Chair of the Neurological Alliance, an advocacy group comprising 20 charities, working together to get better outcomes from government and the health sector for the one in three people that will be impacted by a neurological condition at some time in their lives.
Rich has a business background in technology and customer care along with for-purpose experience from previous positions leading the Boards of Trustees of: The First Foundation; Make-a-Wish Pacific Islands; and Volunteering Auckland. |
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Greer Pugh is a first-year PhD student in the Human Cardiorespiratory Physiology Research Group at the University of Auckland. Her research focuses on Postural Orthostatic Tachycardia Syndrome (POTS), a misunderstood condition that primarily affects young women. As both researcher and patient, Greer is uniquely positioned to bridge the gap between the scientific and patient communities, and her lived experience with POTS drives her passion for understanding its underlying mechanisms and improving patient outcomes.
Greer is actively involved in the New Zealand POTS community, advocating for awareness, education, and better symptom management strategies. Through her research and advocacy, she aims to ensure that patient voices are heard, while advancing the scientific understanding of POTS pathophysiology. |
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Dr Natalie Gauld ONZM is Research Advisor and Best Practice Advocate at Motor Neurone Disease NZ. She is a pharmacist and researcher with honorary roles in the Department of Paediatrics and the School of Pharmacy at Waipapa Taumata Rau | University of Auckland.
Natalie is passionate about improving access to medicines and optimising patient-centred care, and has extensive experience in health care innovation, implementation, and evaluation. She was diagnosed with Motor Neurone Disease (ALS) in March 2022. |
