Suzanne Pitama

Suzanne Georgina Pitama is a New Zealand academic, is Māori, of Ngāti Kahungunu and Ngāti Whare descent and as of 2020 is a full professor at the University of Otago in Christchurch, New Zealand.

Early life Pitama was educated at Wairoa College, and qualified in psychology at University of Auckland. She then undertook postgraduate and doctoral studies at Massey University and the University of Otago.

Academic career Pitama was already a registered clinical psychologist before she completed the first-ever PhD undertaken in indigenous medical education, submitting her thesis, "As natural as learning pathology": the design, implementation and impact of indigenous health curricula within medical schools, at the University of Otago in 2013. Pitama was promoted to full professor from February 2020. In December 2021, she was appointed Dean and Head of Campus at the University of Otago, Christchurch, effective February 2022.

Pitama's research focuses on indigenous experiences in the health system, and how medical education can improve health disparities. In 2017 Pitama featured as one of the Royal Society Te Apārangi's 150 women in 150 words. Pitama was also awarded the 2018 Metge Medal for 'excellence and building relationships in the social science research community'. Pitama was also awarded the 2023 Dame Marie Clay Award by the New Zealand Psychological Society.

Pitama is the Director of the Māori/Indigenous Health Institute (MIHI) at the University of Otago.

In February 2022, she became university's first Māori female Dean of a medical school campus, when she became the Dean and Head of Campus at the University of Otago, Christchurch.

Selected works