Ngāti Rongomai

Dr Elana Taipapaki Curtis is a Public Health Physician currently working as Senior Lecturer Medical at Te Kupenga Hauora Māori, University of Auckland. 

She is Director Vision 20:20 which provides academic leadership of Hikitia Te Ora - Certificate in Health Sciences (bridging/foundation education for Māori and Pacific), Māori and Pacific Admission Scheme (MAPAS, admission and retention support for Māori and Pacific students) and the Whakapiki Ake Project (WAP, Māori recruitment). 

In 2004-2005, Elana was a Harkness Fellow in Healthcare Policy based at the University of California (San Francisco) - investigating ethnic disparities in breast cancer mortality and survival.  Prior to this, Elana worked at the National Screening Unit, Ministry of Health in Wellington where she investigated Maori:non-Maori disparities in breast cancer epidemiology, and at Te Ropū Rangahau Hauora ā Eru Pōmare – Māori Health Research Centre at the University of Otago investigating ethnic disparities in access to invasive cardiovascular procedures/caesarean sections and the relationship between disparities and deprivation. 

She has recently submitted her Doctorate of Medicine (MD) focused on indigenous health workforce development and is involved in Kaupapa Māori Research investigating the teaching of indigenous health within medical education, ethnic inequities within emergency department settings, ethnic inequities in cardiovascular care and is developing a research focus exploring the prevalence of dementia amongst Māori.