• Senior Lecturer in Psychology; Director, Transgender Health Research Lab, University of Waikato

I completed my PhD in psychology at Massey University in 2012. I worked for three years as a Postdoctoral Fellow at the University of British Columbia in Vancouver, Canada, researching the health of Canadian transgender youth, before moving back to Aotearoa New Zealand a faculty/academic position in psychology at Te Whare Wānanga o Waikato: The University of Waikato. I am a Rutherford Discovery Fellow and the Principal Investigator of the Counting Ourselves project. I am the director of the Transgender Health Research Lab at the University of Waikato and I also helped to establish the University of Waikato Rainbow Staff/Student Alliance.

I am the Past President of the Professional Association for Transgender Health Aotearoa (PATHA), and a former Secretary and member of the Board of Directors of the World Professional Association for Transgender Health (WPATH).

My main area of research is in the inequities and unique issues transgender people face in their health and well-being. I have a particular interest in mental health, sexual health and substance use. I research the social determinants of these health outcomes, including experiences of discrimination, stigma, harassment and barriers to accessing appropriate healthcare, as well as how social and community support and gender affirmation can reduce these effects. This research involves collaboration with the transgender community, health professionals, policy makers and other researchers in the fields of psychology, nursing, education and human geography. I also conduct research on the sexuality of transgender people.

• –present Director, Transgender Health Research Lab, University of Waikato

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