Professor Sunia Foliaki, a public health physician from Ha'afeva and Kanokupolu, Tonga, co-leads Pacific health research at Massey University’s Centre for Public Health Research in New Zealand. His work focuses on Pacific populations across New Zealand and the Pacific islands, with expertise in cancer epidemiology, asthma, palliative care, and other noncommunicable diseases. He has collaborated with Pacific Ministries of Health for over 20 years on diverse health consultancies.

Currently, Professor Foliaki is leading studies on palliative care access for Pacific communities and a major MFAT-funded project to strengthen Tonga’s health workforce and improve the quality of health services and outcomes.