Briar Hunter
Doctoral candidate Briar Hunter is investigating equity and preterm birth care in Aotearoa New Zealand.
Key facts
Programme: PhD
Research topic: Achieving equity in preterm birth care in Aotearoa New Zealand
Supervisor: Professor Katie Groom and Dr Lisa Dawes
Meet Briar Hunter, a medical doctor from Dunedin who is training in Obstetrics and Gynaecology and is currently pursuing her PhD at the Liggins Institute. Briar's research focuses on developing, implementing, and assessing a national best practice guide for equity in preterm birth in Aotearoa. Her work is part of the Taonga Tuku Iho project, which aims to improve preterm birth care and outcomes across New Zealand. Based in Wellington, Briar is supervised by Professor Katie Groom and Lisa Dawes.
Briar completed her undergraduate degree in biomedical sciences but was inspired to transition into medicine by her family's medical legacy and her desire to make a personal connection with patients. At the end of her doctoral studies, Briar hopes to combine her obstetrics and research skills to become a clinical academic.
Briar was a finalist in the 2024 University of Auckland Three Minute Thesis (3MT) competition for her presentation 'Achieving Equity in Preterm Birth Care in Aotearoa.' Watch the video of her elevator pitch to learn more about her research.
The School of Graduate Studies interviewed Briar as a finalist in the 2024 3MT competition. Read the interview to learn more about her academic background and what motivates her.
At the end of my PhD I will return to my clinical training in Obstetrics and hope to combine my skills to become a clinical academic.