Our people

2023

• Sapna George (2022-2025)
  Third supervisor: Rita Krishnamurthi
  Title: Body image and emotional wellbeing of Asian Indian immigrant adolescents in New Zealand – a critical review and qualitative analysis.
• Alice Cade (University of Auckland)
  Primary supervisor: Phil Turnball
  Secondary supervisors: Kelly Jones and Kelly Holt
  Title: Oculomotor function in young adults with mild traumatic brain injury.

2021

• Claudia Zagreanu
  Primary supervisor: Rita Krishnamurthi
  Secondary supervisor: Valery Feigin.
  Title: Epidemiology of atrial fibrillation in ischaemic stroke patients: A population-based study in Auckland, New Zealand.
• Ann George
  Primary supervisor: Valery Feigin
  Co-supervisor: Rita Krishnamurthi.
  Title: Testing the viability of a mobile application for the self-management of stroke risk in the NZ population.

2019

• Tracey Mitchell
  Primary supervisor: Alice Theadom
  Title: Prevalence and treatment of Traumatic Brain Injury in a South Auckland corrections facility.
• Nusrat Shaikh
  Primary supervisor: Richard Siegert
  Secondary supervisor: Alice Theadom
  Title: Psychometric properties of the Community Integration Questionnaire.
• Ekta Singh Dahiya
  Primary supervisor: Rita Krishnamurthi
  Co-supervisor: Valery Feigin
  Advisor: Priya Parmar
  Title: validation of a new non-invasive arterial Pulse Wave Velocity (aPWV) monitor and determine the reference values of aPWV for healthy New Zealand population based on ethnic variability.
• Margie Olds
  Tertiary supervisor: Priya Parmar
  Title: Risk factors which predispose first-time anterior traumatic shoulder dislocations to recurrent instability in adults.

2018

• Bronwyn Tunnage
  Primary supervisor: Rita Krishnamurthi
  Co-supervisor: Valery Feigin
  Title: Paramedic response to acute stroke/TIA: A population-based study of current practice and outcomes.
• Halina Kalaga
  Primary supervisor: Alice Theadom
  Secondary supervisors: Rita Krishnamurthi, Valery Feigin
  Title: The influence of psychosocial factors on the outcomes of motivational interviewing for secondary stroke prevention.
• Susan Mahon
  Primary supervisor: Rita Krishnamurthi
  Secondary supervisors: Kelly Jones, Valery Feigin
  Advisor: Priya Parmar
  Title: The impact of stroke on cognition. Predictors, prevalence and assessment.

2017

• Andrea Greenwood (DPsych)
  Primary supervisor: Suzanne Barker-Collo
  Secondary supervisor: Alice Theadom
  Co-supervisor: Valery Feigin
  Title: Review of classification systems for mild TBI.

2015

• Braden Te Ao
  Primary supervisor: Valery Feigin
  Title: Economic Cost of Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) in New Zealand.

2020

• Elsie Gahano, MHSc
  Primary supervisor: Kelly Jones
  Co-supervisor: Manorika Ratnaweera
  Title: Enablers and barriers to accessing paediatric dental services in Papua New Guinea: A pilot study

2019

• Dympna Mulroy, MPhil
  Primary supervisor: Alice Theadom
  Title: Impact of myotonic dystrophy on work productivity.
• Miriam Hanna, MPhil
  Primary supervisor: Alice Theadom
  Title: Medication use following diagnosis of myotonic dystrophy in New Zealand.
• Anna Keyser, MHSc
  Primary supervisor: Alice Theadom
  Title: Symptom validity reporting following mild TBI.
• Kelly Ty
  Primary supervisor: Grace Wang
  Secondary supervisor: Alice Theadom
  Title: Factors influencing lifestyle change after stroke.
• Kat Henry, MHSc
  Primary supervisor: Alice Theadom
  Title: Recovery following ACL reconstruction.
• Jules Lough, MHSc
  Primary supervisor: Alice Theadom
  Title: Concussion awareness in young adults involved in equestrian sports.
• Aisha Strand, MHSc
  Primary supervisor: Kelly Jones
  Secondary supervisors: Kelly Holt and Heidi Haavik
  Title: Can chiropractic adjustments change multisensory integration and sensorimotor integration in children with autism? A pilot study.
• Devika Gopi, MHSc Rehabilitation Psychology
  Primary supervisor: Susan Mahon
  Title: Assessing predictors and prevalence of executive functioning in four-year stroke survivors.
• Arta Krievina, MHSc Rehabilitation Psychology
  Primary supervisor: Susan Mahon
  Title: Analysis of the WAIS III Digit Symbol-Coding and the WAIS IV Coding subtests as effective embedded effort measures.

2018

• Anna Leigh-Hodge, MHSc
  Primary supervisor: Susan Mahon
  Mentor supervisor: Alice Theadom
  Title: Effect of rehabilitation on long-term outcomes after stroke: results from a population-based study.
• Jenni Slaughter, Masters
  Primary supervisor: Nicola Starkey
  Secondary supervisor: Kelly Jones
  Title: long-term social functioning in children following mild traumatic brain injury.
• Hafsa Iqbal, MHSc
  Primary supervisor: Susan Mahon
  Mentor supervisor: Alice Theadom
  Title: The experiences of a multi-ethnic group of participants engaging in health and wellness coaching: Results from the PREVENTS Study.
• Isabella Dyke, MHSc
  Primary supervisor: Susan Mahon
  Mentor supervisor: Alice Theadom
  Title: Community integration in long term stroke survivors.

2017

• Alice Cade, MSocSci
  Primary supervisor: Kelly Jones
  Secondary supervisors: Kelly Holt and Heidi Haavik
  Title: Chiropractic intervention and the control of eye movement in children with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder: A pilot study.

2016

• Dawn Willix-Payne, MSocSci
  Primary supervisor: Nicola Starkey
  Secondary supervisor: Kelly Jones
  Title: Paediatric Traumatic Brain Injury in New Zealand: Caregiver Knowledge and Media Representations (University of Waikato).
• Karen Murphy, MSocSci
  Primary supervisor: Nicola Starkey
  Secondary supervisor: Alice Theadom
  Title: What do secondary school rugby players think about concussion? (University of Waikato).
• Deidre Gough, MHealthPrac
  Primary supervisor: Rita Krishnamurthi
  Second supervisor: Alice Theadom
  Title: Can an Early Supported Discharge Service for Stroke be successful in a NZ context?

2015

• Neil Bossenger, MHSc
  Primary supervisor; Gwyn Lewis
  Secondary supervisor: Alice Theadom
  Title: Effect of mindfulness on the autonomic and central nervous system.
• Matt Kalloor, MHSc
  Primary supervisor: Daniel Shepherd
  Secondary supervisor: Alice Theadom.
  Title: Noise sensitivity following brain injury.

2014

• Katie Hayden, MHSc
  Primary supervisor: Alice Theadom
  Secondary supervisor: Richard Siegert
  Title: Being mindful of mindfulness, participants’ experiences of using mindfulness in the context of chronic pain.
• Setareh Zareie, MHSc
  Primary supervisor: Nicola Starkey
  Secondary supervisor: Kelly Jones
  Title: Mild traumatic brain injury sustained in preschool: Executive function and behavioural outcomes 24 months post-injury.
• Wanda Malcolm, MHSc
  Primary supervisor: Kelly Jones
  Secondary supervisor: Alice Theadom
  Title: Impact of prior depression on depression following traumatic brain injury.

2021

• Navneet Kaur, BHSc (Hons) (Psychology)
  Primary supervisor: Rita Krishnamurthi
  Title: Evaluating the potential of mobile phone-based technology in improving stroke awareness among the AUT populations.

2020

• Rose Coppard, BHSc (Hons)(Paramedicine) [First class honours]
  Primary supervisor: Bronwyn Tunnage
  Secondary supervisor: Rita Krishnamurthi
  Title: Is prenotification by paramedics associated with decreased time from arrival at hospital to computed tomography imaging for acute ischaemic stroke patients in New Zealand?

2019

• Maureen O’Reilly, BHSc (Hons)
  Primary supervisor: Susan Mahon
  Secondary supervisor: Alice Theadom
  Title: Awareness of concussion in NZ cyclists.
• Christina Lau, BSc thesis
  Primary supervisor: Kelly Jones
  Secondary supervisor: Trecia Wouldes
  Title: Health outcomes at 6-years following prenatal methamphetamine exposure. University of Bath, UK.

2018

• Aaron Arnad, Honours
  Primary supervisor: Susan Mahon
  Title: The influence of clinical and demographic factors on health-related quality of life four years post-stroke.

2017

• Tallulah Harper
  Primary supervisor: Kelly Jones
  Secondary supervisor: Grant Christey
  Title: Trends in incidence of paediatric TBI at Waikato Hospital between 2011-2016.
• Poppy Barran
  Primary supervisor: Kelly Jones
  Secondary supervisor: Amy Jones
  Title: A pilot study of the New Zealand version of Teen Online Problem Solving (TOPS) for adolescents with TBI and their families.
• Tamsyn Almond
  Third supervisor: Susan Mahon
  Title: A qualitative study of bariatric patients’ experiences of post-operative leaks.
• Ian Gutteridge
  Primary supervisor: Susan Mahon
  Title: The lived experiences of familial stroke caregivers- six years post stroke.
• Hafsa Iqbal
  Supervisors: Rohit Bhattacharjee and Susan Mahon
  Supervisory mentor: Rita Krishnamurthi
  Title: Risk of stroke, risk factors and associated health behaviour change in a sample of participants from a mobile app-based research study.

2015

• Danielle Fletcher, BHSc (Hons)
  Primary supervisor: Kelly Jones
  Secondary supervisor: Alice Theadom
  Title: Preliminary efficacy of an online rehabilitation programs for adolescents and their families.
• Alina Gheorghe, BHSc (Hons)
  Primary supervisor: Kelly Jones
  Secondary supervisor: Alice Theadom
  Title: Child and Caregiver behaviour ratings following traumatic brain injury.
• Kylie Rose (Special Topic – A+)
  Primary supervisor: Alice Theadom
  Title: Stress and sleep in fibromyalgia syndrome.

PhD students

• Debbie Meko (2024-2028)
  Primary supervisor: Valery Feigin
  Secondary supervisor: Rita Krishnamurthi
  Title: Stroke incidence, outcome and organization of stroke care in Papua New Guinea – a mixed method population-based study
• Irina Drozdova (2021-2025)
  Primary supervisor: Valery Feigin
  Secondary supervisor: Rita Krishnamurthi
  Third supervisor: Peter Bergin
  Title: The incidence of epilepsy after first-ever or recurrent stroke: A population-based study.
• Karim Mahawish (2022-2025)
  Primary supervisor: Rita Krishnamurthi
  Secondary supervisor: Valery Feigin
  Title: Refining stroke prediction in atrial fibrillation patients by addition of ethnicity to CHADS2-VASC score.
• Anjali Bhatia (2019-2023)
  Primary supervisor: Katie Palmer-Du Preez
  Secondary supervisor: Rita Krishnamurthi
  Third supervisor: Camille Nakhid
  Title: Stress and role of environment in coping with stress among young people of Indian descent.

DHSc students

• Weiran Liu (2024-)
  Primary Supervisor: Rita Krishnamurthi
  Secondary Supervisor: Lester Levy
  Title: Impacts of chronic stress and burnout to middle aged female workers’ performance at work in New Zealand

Master's degree students

• Leanne Seniloli (2021-2024)
  Primary supervisor: Kelly Jones
  Secondary supervisor: Charmaine Bright
  Title: Determining the feasibility and acceptability of the Moves4LilMinds movement programme in the New Zealand context: A randomised pilot study.
• Alice Tither (2023-2024)
  Primary supervisor: Charmaine Bright
  Secondary Supervisor: Kelly Jones
  Title: Strength-based practitioners' experiences of counselling adults with childhood psychological trauma in Aotearoa