APHRU - Key Persons
Adrian Field joined APHRU in 1998, and is currently a Health Research Council Training Fellow. Adrian's main research interest is the impact of public policy on population health. His PhD research examines health promoting aspects of urban environments, focusing particularly on patterns of access to services, facilities and amenities in two Auckland cities. Adrian's work involves use of geographic information systems, and combines quantitative and qualitative analysis. Adrian has also collaborated in APHRU research on drug use and drug policy in New Zealand and internationally
Job Titles:
- International Development
Alison's interests are in community development within Aotearoa/New Zealand and in the wider Asia-Pacific region. She has gained community development experience through the voluntary sector and through employment in local government.
Alison is presently working as part of a team undertaking a Meta Analysis of Community Action Research projects in Aotearoa/New Zealand. She is also part of a team undertaking research for a project, which aims to inform the development of strategies for increasing safety in public spaces. Alison's future research interests will include an examination of the impact of international trade agreements on health promotion in the Asia-Pacific region, plus how Community Action Research can enhance the documenting of localised knowledge, experiences of social change and expression of community needs.
Belinda Borell (Ngati Ranginui, Ngai Te Rangi, Whakatohea) is a researcher for Whariki and joined the group in 2000. She has worked on projects involving community action and social marketing to
young people. She also helps provide evaluation training to health promotion workers.
Born and bred in South Auckland she is also interested in the areas of diversity and Maori identity as they pertain to young people.
Job Titles:
- Economist at the Alcohol & Public Health / Research Unit
Dr Chris Wilkins is an economist at the Alcohol & Public Health
Krishna joined the Unit in March 1999 and has lived in New Zealand since 1996. Previously he had worked for more than 12 years in a wide range of socio-economic research in Nepal. He completed his MSc (1978) in mathematical statistics in Nepal and PhD (1983) in applied statistics in Moscow - Russia. His interests are in the field of survey methodology, data management and statistical data analysis with a focus on model fitting.
Paul Duignan is a half-time Senior Lecturer in the Unit who specialises in
Tim McCreanor combines externally funded research as an associate of APHRU/WHARIKI, with research and teaching based in the Gender and Discourse Research Group of the Department of Psychology . Interests and experience cover gender,culture and public health, particularly with qualitative approaches and critical discursive methods.
Jeff joined the unit in 2000 as an evaluation researcher. His masters degree is in recreation administration from Victoria University of Wellington, and he has other graduate and undergraduate social science qualifications. He is currently working on process and impact evaluations of community action projects in Ranui, Kaikohe and South Hokianga and on a project looking at the intersections of young people's sporting and drinking cultures. Prior to joining APHRU he has worked in research, advisory and service provision roles in the disability and recreation
Karen Witten is the Associate Director of APHRU. She joined the Alcohol & Public Health Research Unit in 1999. Her position is jointly funded by the Unit and the Environmental & Occupational Health Research Centre. She is developing research around community participation to improve the physical environment as it affects health.
Karen previously worked as the Manager for Public Health Research at the Health Research Council.
Kim Conway joined the unit in 1997 as a Health Research Council Training Fellow. She has however been associated with the unit over a number of years having had input into the Community Action Project, Liquor Licensing and Rural Drink-Driving Projects.
Kim has worked extensively in the alcohol and health promotion fields. She originally trained as a psychiatric nurse, then worked in Scotland in alcohol and drug treatment services before returning to work for the Auckland Hospital Board co-ordinating alcohol and drug treatment services and education programmes. She was ALAC's first northern regional officer and then moved to the Health Promotion Forum where she was involved in developing and teaching a national certificate in health promotion.
At APHRU Kim completed her Masters research in community action on alcohol issues in 1998 and is currently responsible for co-ordinating the Community Action on Youth and Drugs project as well as having continuing input into alcohol and drug policy issues and community action research.
Lisa has worked as the Alcohol & Public Health Research Unit's Librarian since 1991. She provides information services, including literature searching and retrieval. She is also responsible for coordinating the local and international dissemination of research results. The Unit's dissemination plan is designed to increase awareness of, and access to, APHRU research among individuals and organisations with an interest in healthy public policy and health promotion.
Sally Casswell was born and educated in England, graduating with an honours degree in Psychology from the University of Sheffield. She came to New Zealand in 1971, has a PhD from the University of Otago and has worked in health research in the Universities of Otago and Auckland since that time.
Her research interests are in public health policy, particularly in relation to alcohol and other drugs. She has a particular interest in the development and implementation of healthy public policy at the community level and in evaluation of these initiatives. She is the Director of the Alcohol & Public Health Research Unit.