Rate My Professor Jeannine Stairmand

Jeannine Stairmand (Ngāti Porou) serves as a Senior Lecturer and Research Fellow in the Department of Public Health at the University of Otago, Wellington, within the Faculty of Medicine, Health Sciences Division. A registered nurse, she holds a Postgraduate Diploma in Public Health and a Master of Public Health from the University of Otago. With over 20 years of experience in Māori health and public health sectors, Stairmand has made significant contributions as co-convenor and lecturer for the Certificate in Health Promotion programme in the Department of Public Health. She is affiliated with the Cancer and Chronic Conditions (C3) research group, where she works on the C3 Qualitative Study examining cancer care journeys and clinical decision-making, with Professor Louise Signal as Principal Investigator. Additionally, she is involved with the Health Promotion and Policy Research Unit (HePPRU) and the Cancer Society Research Collaboration. Stairmand holds a ministerial appointment to the National Kaitiaki Group and participates in various community service activities. In 2025, she received a University of Otago Research Grant.

Stairmand's research specializations centre on Māori health, cancer care, health promotion, and prevention, particularly in areas such as breast and cervical screening, multimorbidity, diabetes impacts on cancer treatment, palliative care, and health inequities for Indigenous populations. Her work employs qualitative and kaupapa Māori methodologies to address disparities in service delivery for chronic conditions like cancer and diabetes. Notable publications include 'Supportive care needs and assessment tools for family caregivers of Indigenous people with cancer: A narrative review' (Wall et al., Supportive Care in Cancer, 2025), 'Health in justice or health injustice? Indigenous Māori experiences of primary care following release from New Zealand prisons: A national record study' (King et al., Social Science & Medicine, 2025), 'The undercounting of Indigenous Māori imprisoned by the New Zealand carceral state: A national record study' (King et al., Health & Justice, 2025), 'Dissonant roles: The experience of Māori in cancer care' (Dew et al., Social Science & Medicine, 2015), and 'Effect of multimorbidity on health service utilisation and experiences of cancer survivors: A national study' (Millar et al., Journal of Comorbidity, 2018). Her scholarship has influenced understandings of Māori experiences in cancer care, multimorbidity management, and prison health transitions, contributing to equity-focused public health policy and practice. She has also supervised postgraduate research and presented on public health topics.