Melissa Carey

Associate Professor Melissa Carey is affiliated with the School of Nursing and Midwifery at Edith Cowan University (ECU) and holds an Honorary Research Fellow position at the University of Auckland. Her research focuses on Indigenous health methodologies, end-of-life care, cultural safety, and interprofessional practice. She has held academic roles across multiple institutions in Australia and New Zealand.

Education:

• Doctor of Philosophy (2016), Queensland University of Technology

Research Interests:

Her work emphasizes Kaupapa Māori research, autoethnography, and decolonizing health measurement. She explores cultural identity in healthcare, voluntary assisted dying, and palliative care equity. Recent studies include analyzing New Zealand’s End of Life Choice Act and evaluating immersive technology in medical education.

Awards:

• Te Tohu Rapuora Medal (Royal Society Te Apārangi)
• Health Research Council Postdoctoral Fellowship (2020)
• Outstanding Doctoral Thesis (QUT, 2016)

Grants & Projects:

Leading the Keteparaha community framework for Māori ageing and end-of-life care, and the A different grief project on assisted dying support groups (Health Research Council-funded, 2025–2026).

Labs/Teams:

Collaborates with Te Arai Palliative Care Research Group (University of Auckland) and the Voluntary Assisted Dying Research Network (Victoria University of Wellington).