Critical Health and Wellbeing Research Group
PEOPLE
- Head
- Associate Dean-Academic
- School of Health Sciences
- Associate Dean-AcademicSchool of Health Sciences
- Associate Professor
- School of Health Sciences
- Associate ProfessorSchool of Health Sciences
I have been working as a Māori/public health researcher since completing my Masters degree in public health in 2000. I have been involved in research across a wide range of areas relating to Māori advancement, including traditional Māori healing, Māori-focused service, programme and organisational evaluation, and Māori community, iwi and hapū development. I recently completed a PhD in Health Sciences, investigating the concept of identity as it features in the lives and experiences of Māori adoptees.I have been working as a Māori/public health researcher since completing my Masters degree in public health in 2000. I have been involved in research across a wide range of areas relating to Māori advancement, including traditional Māori healing, Māori-focused service, programme and organisational evaluation, and Māori community, iwi and hapū development. I recently completed a PhD in Health Sciences, investigating the concept of identity as it features in the lives and experiences of Māori adoptees.- Faculty of Health
- Registered to supervise Master's/Doctoral students
- Head
- Associate Professor
- School of Health Sciences
- Associate ProfessorSchool of Health Sciences
My teaching and research are in the field of counselling and counsellor education. I explore emerging counsellor identities, pedagogy of counsellor education, and social constructionist and post-structural approaches to counselling, including Solution-focused Brief Therapy. I take a critical approach to research with an interest in the relationship between material, social, and cultural realities and individual experience and agency. I draw on feminist, qualitative, arts based and critical posthumanist research methodologies.
Prior to working at the University of Canterbury I have worked as a Psychologist and Counsellor, in New Zealand and the UK, mainly with children and families experiencing domestic violence, trauma, and the effects of the Canterbury earthquake sequence.My teaching and research are in the field of counselling and counsellor education. I explore emerging counsellor identities, pedagogy of counsellor education, and social constructionist and post-structural approaches to counselling, including Solution-focused Brief Therapy. I take a critical approach to research with an interest in the relationship between material, social, and cultural realities and individual experience and agency. I draw on feminist, qualitative, arts based and critical posthumanist research methodologies.
Prior to working at the University of Canterbury I have worked as a Psychologist and Counsellor, in New Zealand and the UK, mainly with children and families experiencing domestic violence, trauma, and the effects of the Canterbury earthquake sequence.- Faculty of Health
- Registered to supervise Master's/Doctoral students
- Professor
- School of Earth and Environment
- ProfessorSchool of Earth and Environment
My work focuses on the creation and erosion of wellbeing in places. I have examined processes and events that contribute to lived experiences of distress and difficulty in a number of towns, cities and regions in New Zealand and the UK, while also working to identify the collaborations, policies and practices able to facilitate wellbeing within them.
My early research considered rural and urban places disrupted by economic restructuring and neoliberal welfare reform, while more recent projects have focused on disaster-affected places. When examining these variously disrupted environments, I have investigated the spaces and settings within them that people experience as supportive, enabling and therapeutic and even, on occasion, as transformative. Empirical investigations in this regard have encompassed community drop-in centres, retreat centres, respite care agencies, residential care facilities, and urban community farms.
I am currently an Associate Editor for Health & Place and the New Zealand Geographer, and an editorial board member for Social & Cultural Geography; Emotion, Space & Society; and the Australasian Journal of Disaster & Trauma Studies.My work focuses on the creation and erosion of wellbeing in places. I have examined processes and events that contribute to lived experiences of distress and difficulty in a number of towns, cities and regions in New Zealand and the UK, while also working to identify the collaborations, policies and practices able to facilitate wellbeing within them.
My early research considered rural and urban places disrupted by economic restructuring and neoliberal welfare reform, while more recent projects have focused on disaster-affected places. When examining these variously disrupted environments, I have investigated the spaces and settings within them that people experience as supportive, enabling and therapeutic and even, on occasion, as transformative. Empirical investigations in this regard have encompassed community drop-in centres, retreat centres, respite care agencies, residential care facilities, and urban community farms.
I am currently an Associate Editor for Health & Place and the New Zealand Geographer, and an editorial board member for Social & Cultural Geography; Emotion, Space & Society; and the Australasian Journal of Disaster & Trauma Studies.- Faculty of Science
- Registered to supervise Master's/Doctoral students
Fields of Research- Human geography
- Health geography
- Social geography
- Urban sociology and community studies
- Poverty, inclusivity and wellbeing
- Disaster and emergency management
- Senior Lecturer Above the Bar
- School of Health Sciences
- Senior Lecturer Above the BarSchool of Health Sciences
Dr Rachael Dixon is a Senior Lecturer Above the Bar at Te Whare Wānanga o Waitaha | University of Canterbury. Her work focuses on the role of health education in schools and its contribution to individual and community wellbeing. Through her research, she explores what students learn through school-based health education and how the subject can shape people's lives, relationships, decision-making, and long-term well-being.Her scholarship is informed by qualitative, post-qualitative, and post-human perspectives, which offer innovative ways of thinking about learning, knowledge, and the complex relationships between people, places, materials, and educational systems. Through this work, she seeks to challenge conventional approaches to educational research and generate new ways of understanding teaching, learning, and well-being.Rachael is also interested in creative and experimental research methodologies, bringing curiosity and innovation to the study of education and its potential to contribute to healthier, more equitable, and more connected communities.Dr Rachael Dixon is a Senior Lecturer Above the Bar at Te Whare Wānanga o Waitaha | University of Canterbury. Her work focuses on the role of health education in schools and its contribution to individual and community wellbeing. Through her research, she explores what students learn through school-based health education and how the subject can shape people's lives, relationships, decision-making, and long-term well-being.Her scholarship is informed by qualitative, post-qualitative, and post-human perspectives, which offer innovative ways of thinking about learning, knowledge, and the complex relationships between people, places, materials, and educational systems. Through this work, she seeks to challenge conventional approaches to educational research and generate new ways of understanding teaching, learning, and well-being.Rachael is also interested in creative and experimental research methodologies, bringing curiosity and innovation to the study of education and its potential to contribute to healthier, more equitable, and more connected communities.- Faculty of Health
- Registered to supervise Master's/Doctoral students
- Collaborative research projects
- Consulting & advisory services
- Industry partnerships & innovation
- Media enquiries
- Outreach & community engagement
- Policy advice & government consultation
Fields of Research- Adolescent health
- Gender, sexuality and education
- Curriculum and pedagogy
- Head
- Associate Professor
- School of Health Sciences
- Associate ProfessorSchool of Health Sciences
Dr Lovell is a qualitative health researcher with an academic background in health geography. Her research is concerned with access and delivery of care in the community, with a particular focus on sexual and reproductive health. Dr Lovell has published widely in journals such as Social Science & Medicine and Critical Public Health. She has ten years of experience supervising postgraduate students and teaching qualitative research methods.
My academic background is in Health Geography which is broadly interested in how our social and physical environments shape human health. I primarily undertake qualitative research informed by a range of methodologies including feminist and post-structural approaches.Dr Lovell is a qualitative health researcher with an academic background in health geography. Her research is concerned with access and delivery of care in the community, with a particular focus on sexual and reproductive health. Dr Lovell has published widely in journals such as Social Science & Medicine and Critical Public Health. She has ten years of experience supervising postgraduate students and teaching qualitative research methods.
My academic background is in Health Geography which is broadly interested in how our social and physical environments shape human health. I primarily undertake qualitative research informed by a range of methodologies including feminist and post-structural approaches.- Faculty of Health
- Registered to supervise Master's/Doctoral students
- Senior Lecturer
- Social Work
- Senior LecturerSocial Work
- Faculty of Health
- Registered to supervise Master's/Doctoral students
- Associate Professor
- School of Health Sciences
- Associate ProfessorSchool of Health Sciences
My key focus is the intersection between humans and the environment, in terms of learning and quality experiences, but also in promoting environmental sustainability. My research covers the areas of outdoor and environmental education practices, adventure education, initial teacher education and learning from Māori relationships with the land.My key focus is the intersection between humans and the environment, in terms of learning and quality experiences, but also in promoting environmental sustainability. My research covers the areas of outdoor and environmental education practices, adventure education, initial teacher education and learning from Māori relationships with the land.- Faculty of Health
- Registered to supervise Master's/Doctoral students
- 15 Life on Land
- 10 Reduced Inequalities
- 17 Partnerships for the Goals
- 4 Quality Education
- 13 Climate Action
- Collaborative research projects
- Consulting & advisory services
- Industry partnerships & innovation
- Media enquiries
- Outreach & community engagement
- Policy advice & government consultation
Fields of Research- Environmental education curriculum and pedagogy
- Education
- Recreation, leisure and tourism geography
- Head
- Senior Lecturer Above the Bar
- School of Health Sciences
- Senior Lecturer Above the BarSchool of Health Sciences
Kate's experience is in the field of palliative care and oncology nursing in a range of roles from clinical practice, management, governance, education and research. She has a particular interest in supporting health professionals and community development to enable people to live until they die and to provide compassionate end of life care.Kate's experience is in the field of palliative care and oncology nursing in a range of roles from clinical practice, management, governance, education and research. She has a particular interest in supporting health professionals and community development to enable people to live until they die and to provide compassionate end of life care.- Faculty of Health
- Registered to supervise Master's/Doctoral students
- 11 Sustainable Cities and Communities
- 3 Good Health and Well Being
- 16 Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions
- 10 Reduced Inequalities
- Media enquiries
- Collaborative research projects
- Consulting & advisory services
- Outreach & community engagement
- Policy advice & government consultation
Fields of Research- Palliative care
- Oncology and carcinogenesis
- Phenomenology
- Nursing
- Leadership
- Associate Professor
- Social Work
- Associate ProfessorSocial Work
Dr Raewyn Tudor, BA (University of Canterbury), Graduate Diploma in Management (University of Canterbury), Post-Graduate Diploma in Social Work (University of Canterbury), PhD (Monash University) is an Associate Professor in Social Work, Faculty of Health. Her research interest is in decolonising social work, disaster recovery and climate change, work-integrated learning and the use of contemporary feminist theory and methods in research inquiry.
Dr Raewyn Tudor, BA (University of Canterbury), Graduate Diploma in Management (University of Canterbury), Post-Graduate Diploma in Social Work (University of Canterbury), PhD (Monash University) is an Associate Professor in Social Work, Faculty of Health. Her research interest is in decolonising social work, disaster recovery and climate change, work-integrated learning and the use of contemporary feminist theory and methods in research inquiry.
- Faculty of Health
- Registered to supervise Master's/Doctoral students
Fields of Research- Social work
- Social policy
- Disaster and emergency management
- Work integrated learning (incl. internships)
- Feminist methodologies
- Feminist theory