The National Institute for Health Innovation (NIHI), based at Waipapa Taumata Rau, University of Auckland, has appointed a new general manager. Vanessa Ding has a background in psychology and biology as well as wide-ranging leadership experience in product development, strategic sales, marketing and social enterprise. Most recently, she was head of development at Ignite Aotearoa, a mental health and wellbeing social enterprise run by Emerge Aotearoa, a national charitable trust. 

“At the National Institute for Health Innovation, we discover and develop solutions to big public health problems,” said Ding. “University of Auckland researchers discover the issues and potential ways to address them, while NIHI supports the programmes, clinical trials, technology and commercialisation of what’s needed to turn the research evidence into something that has an impact in our communities. I’m excited to have the opportunity to help implement innovative approaches that can bring greater equity and accessibility to hauora in Aotearoa.”

NIHI is managed by UniServices, the research application and commercialisation company of the University of Auckland.

“Vanessa understands that high-quality, policy-relevant research and research-informed service delivery come from a collaborative organisational culture in which the whole team – project managers, digital developers, financial analysts, and researchers – work hand-in-glove together,” said Professor Chris Bullen, Director of NIHI. 

“I am delighted with Vanessa’s appointment as NIHI’s new GM and look forward to working closely with her as she leads the team into the challenges and opportunities ahead in 2022 and beyond.”

Ding’s first major professional success was in research – in her early 20s, she had a paper published in the New Zealand Journal of Psychology that was well cited for its findings about workplace discrimination against overweight women. 

“While I didn’t end up pursuing a research career, the experience helped me understand the power that quality research can bring to making change in health and social outcomes,” said Ding. “In the private sector, I’ve seen products with great user experience and engagement but not always a robust evidence base, while the reverse is often true in the academic space. NIHI bridges the gap between evidence and user-centred solutions.”

As general manager, Ding aims to grow NIHI in capability, scale and impact as a centre of excellence for the development of evidence-based solutions and policy ideas for public health issues.

“I’d like us to be the go-to for any public or private organisation looking to solve complex health problems in ways underpinned by research evidence,” said Ding. “That means ensuring NIHI has the strong, stable infrastructure to do this in a modern, innovative way. I’d also like us to live up to international standards for health institutes across the world and contribute to solutions globally. For me it’s all about supporting people to thrive, not just survive.”

“NIHI is more relevant than ever in today’s world, not only because of Covid-19 but also because of the public health crises we have related to addiction, mental health and obesity,” said Toni Laming, UniServices Executive Director of Business Units. “Vanessa brings in the skills and passion needed to enable the delivery of equitable and transformative healthcare solutions.”