From Hawai'i to Aotearoa – a passion to improve Pacific health outcomes

Updates / News, 8 Jul 26

Hailing from Kailua-Kona in Hawai'i, Dr Zanetta Toomata is currently a postdoctoral research fellow, affiliated with Massachusetts General Hospital Center for Genomic Medicine, Harvard Medical School, and the Broad Institute of MIT & Harvard.

Of Samoan, Hawaiian, Japanese and Scottish roots, Zanetta shares her passion and experience with us in the lead up to the Pasifika Medical Association (PMA) Conference, where she will speak on one of the panels.

What are you passionate about and why?
I’m passionate about improving health outcomes by using data-driven insights and interventions that integrate multi-omics like genomics, metabolomics, and proteomics to inform more appropriate models of care. Specifically, I’m interested in how we can use genomics and data science for precision medicine applications in diabetes, and I want to make sure Pacific peoples can be part of the science that builds up that evidence for care.

You are scheduled to speak on the clinical practice panel - what are you most looking forward to discussing/sharing at the conference
I’m excited to have an honest talanoa about what precision medicine could mean for Pacific peoples. One example could be where the right treatment and the right tools are shaped around Pacific peoples and not using data that is borrowed from other populations. How can we be at the centre of the multi-omics research that actually drives decision making for clinical care? I’m just as keen to listen to clinicians that see the realities of care that should be steering the science, and possibly to open up a discussion of both the promise and the risks of precision medicine for our Pacific communities.

Words of advice/inspiration for people who are looking to pursue a similar career to you?
Each and every one of us has a perspective that has been collectively shaped by our experiences and upbringing, whether it be growing up in the islands or here in Urban Auckland, there’s an outlook you bring with all the ideas and questions you ask which can offer up solutions to the problems affecting our communities. If you want to pursue a career in science, it’s important to remain curious, stay determined, and be open to constantly learning.

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The PMA Conference will be hosted in Auckland from 5-7 August. For more information and to register, visit the website here.

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