Bridgette Masters-Awatere

Associate Professor Bridgette Masters-Awatere is the Director of the Māori & Psychology Research Unit (MPRU) within the School of Psychology at the University of Waikato.

Bridgette Masters-Awatere (Te Rarawa, Ngai te Rangi, Tūwharetoa ki Kawerau) is a registered psychologist and Associate Professor in the School of Psychology at the University of Waikato. Her research focuses on Māori health outcomes with a particular focus on the connection between environmental health factors to human health and wellbeing.

Bridgette is currently leading several projects related to Māori health and is always looking for ways to explore the connection between human wellbeing and climate health. She lead the Haumanu Hauora project, funded by the Deep South National Science Challenge. The project focused on exploring the intersection of health policy development from a Māori health equity lens in the context of climate change.

Expertise

  • Community Psychology
  • Māori and Indigenous health and wellbeing
  • Health policy development

Email

Bridgette.masters-awatere@waikato.ac.nz

Relevant publications and conference presentations

Masters-Awatere, B., Young, P., & Graham, R. (2022). State agencies and researchers engaging with Indigenous communities on climate change adaptation planning: A Systematic Review. MAI Journal, 11, 1, 294-308. 

Masters-Awatere, B., Young, T., Howard, D., Powell, E., Ranginui Charlton, A., Graham, R., & Dixon, R. (2022). Haumanu Hauora: Strengthening health institution responsiveness to climate change. Technical report prepared for Deep South National Science Challenge. Māori and Psychology Research Unit (MPRU), University of Waikato; Hamilton, New Zealand.

Masters-Awatere, B. (2021). Me tiro whakamuri, kia anga whakamua: Walking backwards into the future: Community Psychology Keynote. Psychology Aoteaora, vol 13, no 2, Whiringa-a-rangi/November, p73-79. https://indd.adobe.com/view/ff74c5a8-392a-4ca4-86f5-77a3c60b1cdb 

Awatere, S., King, DN., Reid, J., Wiliams, L., Masters-Awatere, B., Harris, P., Tassell-Matamua, N., Jones, R., Eastwood, K., Pirker, J., & Jackson, A-M. (2021). He huringa āhuatanga, he huringa ao: A changing climate, a changing world. Report prepared for Ngā Pae o te Māramatanga. Manaaki Whenua Landcare Research. http://www.maramatanga.co.nz/sites/default/files/project-reports/LC3948_Huringa.Oranga.Final_.Whiringaanuku_0.pdf 

Tassell-Matamua, M., Lindsay, N., Bennett, A., & Masters-Awatere, B. (2020). Māori Cultural Identity Linked to Greater Regard for Nature: Attitudes and (Less So) Behavior. Ecopsychology. 13(1) 9-18. https://doi.org/10.1089/eco.2020.0027

Graham, R., & Masters-Awatere, B. (2020). Experiences of Māori of Aotearoa New Zealand’s public health system: a systematic review of two decades of published qualitative research. Australian and New Zealand Journal of Public Health. https://doi.org/10.1111/1753-6405.12971