Gemma Melvena Malungahu

Gemma Malungahu is a Research Fellow at the Department of Pacific Affairs, Australian National University. With a background in health sciences and public health, her work focuses on qualitative research and systemic issues impacting Pacific peoples' health and housing.

Education

• PhD (2020) from the University of Auckland, New Zealand, thesis: Too little space! Experiences and perspectives of Housing and Housing Policy: Tongan Families with rheumatic fever in South Auckland and Key Housing Informants

Research Interests

Dr Malungahu’s research explores Pacific health, Pacific research methodologies, and the intersection of Tongan cultural heritage with health policy. Her work highlights systemic racism and essentialism in socio-political systems, leading to the development of the Lolo Na‘ati model for equitable housing and health decision-making. She also conducted a 2019 Tracer study on Pacific Research Colloquium alumni to assess research capacity-building in Moana Oceania.

Publications

Her recent work (2022) examines Covid-19 responses in Polynesian nations and small-state governance, contributing to debates on public health frameworks and regional collaboration.