About Us

About Us

Mō Matou

Our team drives innovation through supporting successful research initiatives across a range of health and well-being sectors.

KO TE WHAKAKITENGA

Our Vision

Everybody in Aotearoa has access to evidence-based, innovative health services so that they can thrive.

KO TE UARATANGA

Our Mission

To discover, design, and deliver evidence-based, consumer-led health interventions to prevent and improve outcomes from the worlds leading chronic conditions.

KO TE KAUPAPA MATUA O TĀTOU

Our Core Purpose

To reduce the risk and impact of chronic health conditions in Aotearoa and the Pacific region by developing and releasing robust, evidence-based health interventions and education that empower health improvement for nga tangata o Aotearoa e Pasifika.

Ō TĀTOU UARA

Our Values

Auahatanga | Pioneering
Whanaungatanga | Openess
Hiranga | Excellence
Pono | Integrity
Pākahukahu | Energy
Manaakitanga | Making a difference
Ō TĀTOU UARA

Our Values

Auahatanga | Pioneering
Whanaungatanga | Openess
Hiranga | Excellence
Pono | Integrity
Pākahukahu | Openness
Manaakitanga | Making a difference
es smiling in meetinges smiling in meetinges smiling in meeting
OUR GOALS

What drives us

01Contributing to improving health outcomes

Co-designing and managing innovative and impactful health initiatives.

02 Supporting healthier communities

Reduce health inequalities and promote equity across the globe.

03 Bridging discovery and application

Helping take evidence and insight from research into real-world solutions.

OUR GOALS

What drives us

01
Contributing to improving health outcomes

Co-designing and managing innovative and impactful health initiatives.

02
Supporting healthier communities

Reduce health inequalities and promote equity across the globe.

01
Bridging discovery and application

Helping take evidence and insight from research into real-world solutions.

OUR IMPACT

Our services and the support we offer for research have had positive impacts on health and wellbeing: we’ve contributed to changing and improving health policies, programmes, services and clinical practices.

Professor Chris Bullen
NIHI Academic Director
OUR INNOVATION

What makes us different?

NIHI drives transformative healthcare innovation, grounded in real-world solutions. Beyond academia, we're a dynamic innovation hub, akin to a 'Living Lab.' We create and test new care models in real-time, then scale them

We're committed to innovating solutions for today's health challenges. Our goal: prevent disease, improve health, bridge disparities, and advance equitable healthcare, with a focus on enhancing clinical outcomes, affordability, accessibility, provider well-being, and population health

Collaborative Hub

NIHI brings together academia, healthcare professionals, and innovators to advance healthcare delivery.

Innovative Hub

NIHI conceive, rigorously test, and implement creative concepts.

Multidisciplinary Catalyst

NIHI champions diverse technologies, programmes and initiatives rooted in innovation and visionary leadership.

Ō TĀTOU TANGATA

Our People

Within our ranks, you'll find a diverse assembly of dedicated individuals. Together, we unite our expertise and passion to shape the future of healthcare

Professor Chris Bullen
Academic Director
Gayl Humphrey
Research Fellow & Co-Lead, eHealth/mHealth
Angela Wadham
Senior Advisor
Varsha Parag
Lead Biostatistician
Elaine Umali
Programme Manager - Digital Solutions
Mahfuz Rahman
Development & Technology Lead
Kaylene Henderson
NetworkZ Programme Manager
Professor Chris Bullen
Academic Director
Gayl Humphrey
Research Fellow & Co-Lead, eHealth/mHealth
Angela Wadham
Senior Advisor
Varsha Parag
Lead Biostatistician
Elaine Umali
Programme Manager - Digital Solutions
Mahfuz Rahman
Development & Technology Lead
Kaylene Henderson
NetworkZ Programme Manager
TŌ TĀTOU KŌRERO | OUR STORY

We've been enacting change over the last 35 years to those who most need it

1989

NIHI was originally established as the Clinical Trials Research Unit (CTRU) by Professors Stephen MacMahon and Norman Sharpe at the Department of Medicine of The University of Auckland.

2000

Successfully executed the management and coordination of the PEP trial, a 6-year trial involving 170 hospitals in 5 countries and 17,444 participants. Results are published in The Lancet.

2001

Successfully concluded the PROGRESS trial - a $50M (pharma-funded) RCT with >6,000 participants. Results are published in The Lancet.

2004

Anthony Rodgers, then Director of the CTRU, edited first Global Burden of Disease Report. This milestone led to a strategic shift in CTRU's focus, emphasising research on major risk factors affecting global health.

CTRU Maori Advisory Group formed.

2011

CTRU's merger with 'Little NIHI' from the School of Population Health resulted in the formation of NIHI, a dynamic academic and research group with advanced digital capabilities.

STOMP Trial: A Milestone in Tobacco Control
Pioneering the first text-message-based smoking cessation program, ushering in the era of mHealth for disease prevention.

2014

NIHI awarded the Ministry of Health contract for the national roll-out of SPARX,a youth mental health digital tool

Research led by Associate Professor Natalie Walker on cytisine as an aid for smoking cessation achieved a significant milestone with its results published in the prestigious New England Journal of Medicine.

2016

The OL@-OR@ study, marking NIHI's inaugural co-design research project involving collaboration with Maori and Pacific communities, was initiated under the leadership of Professor Cliona Ni Mhurchu.

2017

The RAUORA study, a pioneering smoking cessation trial targeted at mitigating the adverse effects of smoking among Māori populations and whānau of Māori, commenced its recruitment phase. This is landmark study led by Associate Professor Natalie Walker.

2018

Under the leadership of Professor Cliona Ni Mhurchu, NIHI secured its third successive Health Research Council (HRC) programme in nutrition research.

NIHI awarded the contract for the NZ Bariatric Surgical Registry.

2019

NIHI Commemorates its 30th Anniversary of pioneering research and innovation.

2020

NetworkZ, an advanced multi-disciplinary training program for clinical teams, developed by Prof Jennifer Weller, joined NIHI, enhancing its reach and effectiveness in healthcare training and teamwork.

TŌ TĀTOU KŌRERO | OUR STORY

We've been enacting change over the last 35 years to those who most need it

1989

NIHI was originally established as the Clinical Trials Research Unit (CTRU) by Professors Stephen MacMahon and Norman Sharpe at the Department of Medicine of The University of Auckland.

2000

Successfully executed the management and coordination of the PEP trial, a 6-year trial involving 170 hospitals in 5 countries and 17,444 participants. Results are published in The Lancet.

2001

Successfully concluded the PROGRESS trial - a $50M (pharma-funded) RCT with >6,000 participants. Results are published in The Lancet.

2004

Anthony Rodgers, then Director of the CTRU, edited first Global Burden of Disease Report. This milestone led to a strategic shift in CTRU's focus, emphasising research on major risk factors affecting global health.

CTRU Maori Advisory Group formed.

2011

CTRU's merger with 'Little NIHI' from the School of Population Health resulted in the formation of NIHI, a dynamic academic and research group with advanced digital capabilities.

STOMP Trial: A Milestone in Tobacco Control
Pioneering the first text-message-based smoking cessation program, ushering in the era of mHealth for disease prevention.

2014

NIHI awarded the Ministry of Health contract for the national roll-out of SPARX,a youth mental health digital tool

Research led by Associate Professor Natalie Walker on cytisine as an aid for smoking cessation achieved a significant milestone with its results published in the prestigious New England Journal of Medicine.

2016

The OL@-OR@ study, marking NIHI's inaugural co-design research project involving collaboration with Maori and Pacific communities, was initiated under the leadership of Professor Cliona Ni Mhurchu.

2017

The RAUORA study, a pioneering smoking cessation trial targeted at mitigating the adverse effects of smoking among Māori populations and whānau of Māori, commenced its recruitment phase. This is landmark study led by Associate Professor Natalie Walker.

2018

NIHI awarded the contract for the NZ Bariatric Surgical Registry.

Under the leadership of Professor Cliona Ni Mhurchu, NIHI secured its third successive Health Research Council (HRC) programme in nutrition research.

2019

NIHI Commemorates its 30th Anniversary of pioneering research and innovation.

2020

NetworkZ, an advanced multi-disciplinary training program for clinical teams, developed by Prof Jennifer Weller, joined NIHI, enhancing its reach and effectiveness in healthcare training and teamwork.

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