Public health physician and researcher Dr Sainimere Boladuadua has been awarded a Fulbright Science and Innovation Graduate Scholarship.
A Fellow of the New Zealand College of Public Health Medicine, Dr Boladuadua is currently studying for her PhD at the University of Auckland.
While on her Fulbright Scholarship in the United States, she will work with Native American communities to better understand healthcare access and experiences of families of children with acute respiratory infections. She will be based at the Johns Hopkins University’s Centre of Indigenous Health.
Of Fijian heritage Dr Bolabuadua says, “ I represent my family, my villages, my vanua, I carry all of them with me. All my work, my achievements are a reflection on them.
“I am acutely aware of the privilege of being able to access this opportunity, it’s something I don’t take lightly. With this privilege comes an obligation to use the amazing opportunities afforded to me such as this Fulbright award to make a contribution to the society in which I live, which spans both Aotearoa NZ and the Pacific,” says Dr Bola duadua.
While at Johns Hopkins, Sai hopes to broaden and deepen her knowledge and experience of indigenous health research. Her research objectives are to learn different methods, methodologies, and theories relating to the different ways Native American peoples work with their communities, as both insider and outsider researchers and practitioners, in order to improve access to health.
Fulbright New Zealand Executive Director Penelope Borland says the variety of disciplines on show in this year’s awards is an inspiration.
