Rate My Professor Carolyn Clark

Dr. Carolyn Clark is a Senior Lecturer in the Department of Medicine at the University of Otago, Wellington campus, where she holds a research appointment. She serves as the Renal Sub-Convener for Year 5 of the MB ChB programme. As a renal physician at Te Whatu Ora Wellington, Clark trained as a nephrologist in Australia before returning to New Zealand in 2017. She completed her PhD focused on transplant immunology and renal ischaemia reperfusion injury. Currently, she is nearing completion of a postgraduate certificate in Māori Health through the University of Otago School of Public Health. Her career combines clinical practice, teaching, and research in renal medicine.

Clark's research specializations centre on equity in renal medicine and enhancing outcomes for Māori and Pacific peoples in Aotearoa New Zealand. She has contributed to significant clinical research efforts, including the SPLIT trial, published in 2022 as 'A Randomized Trial of Balanced Crystalloid Solution Versus 0.9% Saline in Patients with Moderate-to-Severe Acute Kidney Injury.' More recently, she co-authored 'Lupus nephritis outcomes in Aotearoa New Zealand, a retrospective observational study' in Lupus (2026), examining treatment patterns and outcomes. She has also participated in the Honeypot trial, with a publication on representativeness of participants in Peritoneal Dialysis International (2017). Clark received funding from the Health Research Council for an investigation into developing a wellbeing coaching programme for University of Otago medical school students. Beyond academia, she operates a coaching and supervision business and is a registered life coach, exploring the application of coaching to support health professionals.