Dr Emily Gray is a lecturer at the School of Physiotherapy, University of Otago. Emily has a research interest in supporting people to return to physical activity following cardiac events, with a focus on the early stages of recovery following myocardial infarction and cardiac surgery. Emily is also interested in the application of self-management support principles in patient care and enhancing cardiac rehabilitation accessibility to people living rurally.

Dr. Paul Marshall is a Senior Research Fellow in the Department of Exercise Sciences, University of Auckland. He was Clinical Supervisor and Director of the University of Auckland Exercise Rehabilitation Clinic from 2003 to 2009, during which time he completed his Ph.D in 2006 examining mechanisms of change in people with chronic back pain. After spending 12-years in Australia, where he was an Associate Professor in Health Science at Western Sydney University, Dr. Marshall returned to Aotearoa in 2021 to commence large scale interventions in cardiac and chronic pain populations. He has published nearly 100 peer-reviewed journal articles, has led 15 clinical exercise trials to completion, and is a recognized world expert in resistance exercise. His current funded work involves design and implementation of rehabilitation programmes for patients with heart disease, preventing the recurrence of back pain following acute treatment, and examining injury mechanisms in high-performance sport.

Kylie has 25 years of experience in nursing practice and education. She is a senior nursing lecturer above the bar at the University of Canterbury, New Zealand. Kylie’s extensive clinical background includes practice spanning intensive care nursing, particularly in cardiothoracic ICU, acute medical admissions, and general post-operative care. Her teaching specialties lie in postgraduate education, with a focus on health assessment and acute care management. Kylie has completed a comprehensive national project as a part of her PhD research, which revolves around the exploration of heart health knowledge among newly diagnosed cardiac patients in Aotearoa New Zealand, employing a convergent mixed-methods design. Her other research interests include: 1) looking at how healthcare professionals assess patient’s understanding of the information 2) how patient’s understanding effects the legitimacy of providing ‘informed consent’ 3) the impact of nurse prescribing in diabetes and 4) why students choose to transition to a nursing career via a fast-track option.