What is your role/profession currently? 
Lecturer in the School of Sport and Recreation at the Auckland University of Technology (AUT). 

What was your abstract presentation about at the PMA Conference for 2022, and why are you passionate about it? 
My paper was with my cousin, Lisa Viliamu Jameson, and it was about the climate change protests that were happening in Brisbane at the time amongst Pacific communities there. I was passionate about this for many reasons; we grew up together with a lot of the Pacific activists in Australia, so from my point of view, I really wanted to bring to light what they were doing in the research space because it was innovative. Our cultures hold so much power and we can use them to 'Pacificafy' spaces to further advocate for different issues that we have.  

Being raised in Australia for most of my life, it was extra special because so many of our family, aunties, uncles and cousins were involved in the Pacific climate change advocacy in Australia. Even though we are geographically removed from the homeland, we're still very much spiritually connected to the mortherland in different ways. 

What are your aspirations for Pacific health? 
My aspirations in terms of Pacific health is that it's for Pacific, by Pacific, and that the whole pipeline of Pacific health is Pacific through and through.  

How did you find the Conference last year? 
I really enjoyed it – the calibre of the researchers and the people that were there were world-class. There was a big wealth of knowledge and so many things that you wanted to go to; so many amazing experts in their field, and the way that it was set out – I thoroughly enjoyed it. 

Abstract submissions for the Pasifika Medical Association Conference, which is hosted in September in the Cook Islands, is open until the 16 June 2023. Click here for more information and to submit an abstract.