Pania of Ngāti Haako and Ngāi Tahu decent is a Clinical Nurse Specialist - Equity and Access for Maori and Pacific patients receiving cancer care in the Waikato region. This role was the first established within the New Zealand hospital setting to support equitable access to cancer health care. Pania has been leading this for the last 2 years, in and amongst this Pania has also supported the nursing design and implementation of a Kaupapa Māori service at Te Whatu Ora Waikato working collaboratively with Māori leaders, kaimānaki (patient navigators), patients, whānau (family) and the organisation, to address waitlist inequities in planned care services during COVID. She has also assisted the nursing role out of this Kaupapa Maori service into Te Whatu Ora Waikato cancer services – Cancer WHIRI.

Ellyn of Ngāti Porou decent is a Clinical Nurse Specialist – supporting Adolescents and Young Adults (12-24 year olds) with cancer around the Manawa Taki region of New Zealand. She completed her Masters of Nursing in ascertaining the insights and recommendations from young people using ‘Te Awa’ - a metaphorical tool she created for them to use while navigating a haematological or oncological diagnosis. Ellyn also supports the Adolescent and Young Adult Cancer Network Aotearoa to improve equitable health care for this age group alongside her fellow 6 Key worker colleagues from around New Zealand.

Dr. Tina Noutsos is a haematologist at Royal Darwin Hospital, Head of Global and Tropical Health and Senior Research Fellow at Menzies School of Health Research, and an Associate Professor with the College of Medicine and Public Health, Flinders University. She completed her Ph.D. in snakebite-associated thrombotic microangiopathy and has research interests in blood transfusion in the context of First Nations Australians and rural and remote Australia.

Ms Maree Perry, Nganyaywana, Wiradjuri woman, is a PhD candidate nearing completion of her thesis with the Queensland University of Technology and a qualitative researcher. Her thesis is composed of a study yarning with Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander peoples to hear their thoughts, feelings, and beliefs about blood, blood donation, blood transfusion, and blood tests. She has a degree in Biomedical Science majoring in cell and molecular biotechnology. Maree has commenced her Doctor of Medicine studies at the University of Melbourne. She was previously a research assistant with Lifeblood The Australian Red Cross Blood Service.