People
NZPRI has a core team of 15 members who front our deliverables. NZPRI also has a strong membership of over 50 research experts across three research groups. Together we produce research which is relevant to policy makers in business, government and the community.
Meet the team
Lisa’s experience spans international governmental organisations, the NZ public sector and economic consulting.
Nadia is a public health expert focused on health equity for marginalised communities. Her research interests include healthcare access, vaccine accessibility and acceptance, and infectious disease prevention and control.
Alex's research interests comprise labour economics and social welfare.
Thomas' research interests comprise health, family, and labour economics.
Leon’s research interests include family economics, child development, and Pacific health and well-being.
Wei-Lin's primary field of research is public and development economics, with specialisations in the economics of crime and anti-poverty programmes.
Sarah Jane’s research focuses on reverse international student mobility, its life-course impacts and the role of interdisciplinary, community-engaged scholarship in shaping public policy.
Rebecca's background is in public policy research, especially in topics related to inequality, housing and ageing.
Email: rebecca.benson@aut.ac.nz
Marjo leads the Map of Meaningful Work project, which creates a holistic development survey to guide meaningful work, lives and societies.
Tamara looks after the day-to-day running of NZPRI. Her work days are Mondays, and Wednesdays - Fridays.
Email: tamara.tesolin@aut.ac.nz
Serene contributes to a range of research projects. Her interests include gene nutrition and the impact of higher education on socioeconomic progress.
Email: serene.chua@aut.ac.nz
Oliver's research investigates the influence of housing policy in New Zealand on individual wellbeing using the Stats NZ IDI database.
Cristóbal’s research focuses on higher education in New Zealand, examining wage returns and the impact of education policies using Stats NZ’s Integrated Data Infrastructure.
Sarah assists with the running of NZPRI and contributes to a range of research projects.
Email: sarah.little@aut.ac.nz
Gail has considerable experience leading funded projects involving both academic and industry collaborations.
Who we work with
Our team consists of a number of researchers and we regularly engage with project advisors.
Q+A with the team
We sat down with our members to ask questions about their career and what they enjoy doing to unwind in their spare time.