the project team
Our project team will be responsible for designing the data collection, conducting the interviews, analysing the data, and communicating the results of the research to our communities. You can read more about our research team members and their perspectives on family support of transgender young people in these comics.
Principal Investigator
Associate Professor
Julia de Bres
Julia (she/her, Pākehā) is a critical discourse analyst specialising in how people use language to reproduce or challenge social inequalities. Julia is an Associate Professor in Linguistics at Massey University/Te Kunenga ki Pūrehuroa. She moderates a support group for parents of transgender children and has previously served as a board member of InsideOUT Kōaro, a national organisation supporting rainbow young people. She is Chair of the Research Network of the Professional Association for Transgender Health Aotearoa (PATHA).
Associate Investigator
Dr. Jaimie Veale
Jaimie (she/her, Pākehā) is a Senior Lecturer in Psychology and Director of the Transgender Health Research Lab, University of Waikato, President of the Professional Association for Transgender Health Aotearoa (PATHA), and a Rutherford Discovery Fellow. She leads the Counting Ourselves survey of the health and wellbeing of trans people in Aotearoa, and is a foremost expert on the social determinants of health for trans people.
Pacific Research Mentor
Dr. Penni Wolfgramm
Penni identifies as leitī Tonga and works as the Pacific Rainbow+ Peoples Lead for the Ministry for Pacific Peoples. Penni's research area is focused on the wellbeing of Pacific trans, non-binary and gender diverse peoples and has completed a Doctorate in Clinical Psychology. Penni intends to practice soon as a registered Clinical Psychologist, particularly with Pacific rainbow+ peoples.
Masters Student | Asian perspectives
Tara Ravi
Tara (she/her) is a Master of Linguistics student at Te Herenga Waka – Victoria University of Wellington. She is a second-generation Indian-Malaysian New Zealander and will be the student working with Asian families. She also hopes to connect to disabled participants through her experience of having Crohn’s Disease. Tara is interested in language and identity and intersectional approaches to data collection and aims to write her thesis on the unique experiences of Asian and/or disabled transgender young people.
Masters Tauira | | Rangatahi Māori perspectives
ia Morrison-Young
He mihi
Ki te Taha Māori:
Ko Tokomaru te waka
Ko Taranaki te mounga
Ko Awakairangi te awa
Ko Te Ātiawa te iwi
Ko Waiwhetū te marae
Ko Ngāti Puketapu te hapū
Ko Maata Te Wai Naihe tōku tūpuna
Ko Leanne rāua ko Chris ōku mātua
Ko Guy tōku teina
Ko ia tōku ingoa
Ki te taha Pāhekā, I hail from Aberdeenshire, Scotland, Ireland, and England.
ia is the Masters student working with rangatahi irawhiti takatāpui - or trans Māori young people and their whānau. ia has an interest in Kaupapa Māori theory, and methods that heal us, 'toi is rongoā' such as weaving tukutuku, pūrākau, waiata, digital whakairo, mōteatea... and more!
Research Associate
Jack Byrne
Jack (he/him) will be working with Pacific advisors and community members on the project team. Jack also works as a human rights researcher, focusing on trans health and legal gender recognition. He is the Senior Research Officer and Co-investigator for Counting Ourselves, based at the Trans Health Research Lab at the University of Waikato.
Research Associate
Violet Ekeroma
Violet Ekeroma is a Sāmoan university student who is holding talanoa with Pacific young people and their families for Project Village