Our people
Leadership Team
The Co-directors provide strategic leadership to strengthen the institute’s research capability, reputation, and impact. They collaboratively oversee six portfolios: research impact, partnerships, funding, development, culture, and lab operations.
They lead the institute’s research strategy, align activities with the AUT Entities Framework, support research growth and excellence, and contribute to the wider faculty and university research culture. They uphold AUT’s commitment to Te Tiriti o Waitangi through Te Aronui, promoting meaningful partnership with tangata whenua and equitable, inclusive, mana-enhancing outcomes.
The culture leader acts as the primary guardian and facilitator of the SPRINZ culture, supporting the wellbeing and engagement of staff and students and helping maintain a productive and supportive research community. They uphold and enhance SPRINZ mana by embedding Te Aronui and mātauranga Māori across operations, ensuring the research environment is grounded in Tika (integrity), Pono (truth), and Aroha (respect).
The research impact leader translates research into impact, ensuring it is informed by, understood, and used by stakeholders in the community, among practitioners, and by other researchers. This leader helps members engage with traditional and social media and build their public research profile.
This role focuses on securing diverse funding (internal, external, philanthropic and commercialisation opportunities) to support staff and student researchers, research projects, and research infrastructure. This leader assists SPRINZ members in gaining scholarships and funding and in grant acquisition and writing.
This role supports researchers across their career span, from enhancing postgraduate student/staff capability to mentoring early career researchers and providing resources to mid- and senior research staff. This leader works with SPRINZ members to foster their research career.
The research partnership leader is responsible for fostering strategic partnerships and strengthening connections across AUT, throughout Aotearoa and internationally. This leader regularly works alongside the co-directors to maintain and engage our strong industry, community and government partnerships in sport. This includes prioritising relationships with Māori and Pacific organisations, iwi, community groups, and public and private sector partners, as well as leading SPRINZ member recruitment.
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Lab Management Team
The Lab Leaders, Lab Technicians, JELCKC leadership, Clinic Manager and the relevant Co-Director make up a distinct Lab Leadership Team. This team oversee the operational governance and ensure the SPRINZ labs support teaching, research, and outreach goals.
School Sport, Exercise & Health PG Co-ordinator
- Danny Jing
AUT SPRINZ Digital Research Impact & Engagement Administrator
- Gemma Offwood
AUT SPRINZ Members
Research collaborators
Our team works closely with external collaborators to enhance the quality and impact of our research.
Our students
PhD and master’s students together with our graduates, are contributing to our high impact research.