Dr Dianne Sika-Paotonu
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Dr Dianne Sika-Paotonu is an Immunologist, Senior Lecturer in the Department of Pathology & Molecular Medicine, Fulbright Scholar, Associate Dean (Pacific)/Head of the Pacific Office at the University of Otago, Wellington. She is the scientific lead for competitively funded research projects and collaborations for Rheumatic Fever and Cancer, to develop a new Penicillin for Rheumatic Fever prevention, and exploring early Cancer detection methods within the resource constrained setting. Dianne is of Tongan heritage and works closely in collaboration and partnership with Pacific and Māori communities in Aotearoa New Zealand and the Pacific Region and has established collaborations across Oceania and the USA. Her leadership contributions within the research setting as Principal Investigator are scientific based, equity focused and inclusivity driven utilising her Pacific health and immunological expertise. Dianne is also an experienced and qualified science educator and communicator, teaching and supervising undergraduate and postgraduate students in the tertiary setting over many years.
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