Tamariki, Taiohi and Technology
Description
Brainwave Panel Discussion: Tamariki, Taiohi and Technology
What does it take to thrive in a digital world?
Increasing use of digital technology raises important questions for everyone with a role in shaping the lives, learning and wellbeing of children and young people. How do digital environments impact brain development, emotional wellbeing, health, identity and learning? And how can we equip tamariki and taiohi to navigate online spaces safely, critically and confidently?
On Friday 27 November, Brainwave Trust Aotearoa will bring together four experts for a multidisciplinary panel discussion exploring these questions, facilitated by Brainwave Trust Patron, Dr Hinemoa Elder (MNZM).
This event is for a broad professional audience, including people working directly with children and young people, health and education professionals, organisational leaders, governance and board representatives, policymakers, academics, researchers, and others whose work influences the environments in which tamariki and taiohi grow and learn.
Our panellists bring complementary perspectives across paediatrics, clinical psychology, neuroscience, and education:
Dr Sonja Crone, President of Te Kāhui Mātai Arotamariki o Aotearoa (Paediatric Society of New Zealand) and Clinical Director for Women, Child, and Family Services at Health New Zealand Lakes.
Dr Amy Kercher, clinical psychologist and AUT lecturer, whose work includes childhood and adolescent psychological difficulties, anxiety, prevention and early intervention.
Dr Mangor Pedersen, Associate Professor and Head of Psychology and Neuroscience at AUT, specialising in neuroscience, brain health and artificial intelligence.
Professor Melinda Webber (Ngāti Whakaue, Ngāti Hau, Ngāti Hine, Ngāti Kahu), University of Auckland Professor and Co-Director of Ngā Pae o te Māramatanga, whose research explores Māori identity, educational success, media literacy and digital citizenship.
Together, they’ll explore what current evidence tells us, where further questions remain, and the implications for professional practice, organisational decision-making, governance, policy, and the environments in which children and young people grow and learn.
The discussion will consider the wider developmental, relational, cultural, and social contexts that shape young people’s experiences, with insights relevant to those working directly with tamariki and taiohi as well as those shaping services, strategy, and decisions that affect them.
When: Friday November 27
Doors open: 5pm (light refreshments provided)
Location: KPMG, 18 Viaduct Harbour Avenue, Auckland
Tickets: Capacity is strictly limited. Early registration advised.
Join us for a timely, evidence-informed conversation about supporting tamariki and taiohi to be empowered and thrive in an increasingly digital world.
With thanks to our event partners, KPMG and Whāraurau, for helping make this discussion possible.
Facilitator
Dr Hinemoa Elder — MNZM, PhD, FRANZCP, MBChB in Medicine
Hinemoa is Te Aupōuri, Ngāti Kurī, Te Rarawa, Ngāi Takoto and Ngāpuhi nui tonu. A Child and Adolescent Psychiatrist with 20 years experience, a Fellow of the Royal Australian College of Psychiatrists, a member of the College’s Foundation as well as the College's Planetary And Wellbeing Advisory Group. She continues to advocate for whakapapa wellbeing. Awarded the MNZM, New Zealand Order of Merit for services to Psychiatry and to Māori in 2019, a member of the NZ Human Rights Review Tribunal, Kaiārahi Oranga Hinengaro at Te Hiku Hauora and a best selling author. She is a Rockefeller Foundation Bellagio Resident Alumni, and a member of the Busara Circle, for the global women in STEM leadership programme, Homeward Bound. Hinemoa is committed to fostering activities, attitudes and skill building that expand how we understand and value the critical importance of human development as communities. She recognises the critical importance of access to the insights of mātauranga and clinical information from trusted sources, essential for advancing changes that ensure communities thrive; this is why she agreed to become a Patron of Brainwave Trust in 2025.
Speakers
Professor Melinda Webber—PhD, MEd (1st Class Hons), PGDipEd, BEd, DipTch (Primary)
(Ngāti Whakaue, Ngāti Hau, Ngāti Hine, Ngāti Kahu) Melinda is a Professor in the Faculty of Arts and Education and Co-Director of Ngā Pae o te Māramatanga Centre of Research Excellence at Waipapa Taumata Rau, the University of Auckland. An internationally respected researcher, her work explores identity, culture, race, and educational success for Māori learners. Melinda’s research highlights the strengths Māori students draw upon to navigate educational spaces while maintaining strong cultural identities. In 2023 Melinda worked alongside the Office of the Prime Ministers Chief Science Advisor and the Chief Science Advisor Education to better understand the ways children and young people might be better equipped to navigate mis- dis- and mal-information online through learning about media and information literacy and digital citizenship.
Dr Amy Kercher—PhD, GradDipPsychSci, BPsych (Hons)
Dr Amy Kercher is an experienced clinical psychologist from Sydney, Australia, and a lecturer in AUT’s Department of Psychology and Neuroscience. She completed her PhD at Macquarie University in 2009, researching early adolescent depression, and has received several research awards and fellowships. Amy has extensive clinical experience working with children, adolescents, individuals and families across community, university and private practice settings. Her specialist interests include the prevention and early intervention of emotional difficulties, particularly anxiety disorders. Her research interests include childhood psychological difficulties, early intervention, professional wellbeing and burnout, and perinatal wellbeing.
Dr Sonja Crone —BSc, BHB, MBChB, FRACP
Sonja is the current Perehitene of Te Kāhui Mātai Arotamariki o Aotearoa (Paediatric Society of New Zealand), representing a multidisciplinary organisation of over 700 paediatric health professionals across Aotearoa. Driven by the vision that “tamariki in Aotearoa thrive in health and wellness,” PSNZ’s strategic purpose is to promote effective policies and practices that recognise and eliminate health inequities, with a strong commitment to prioritising tamariki and rangatahi Māori. A Consultant General Paediatrician based in Rotorua for 15 years, Sonja serves as Clinical Director for Women, Child, and Family Services at Health New Zealand Lakes and is a committee member of the RACP Paediatrics & Child Health Division (PCHD). Outside of clinical and advocacy mahi, Sonja is a Māmā to two rangatahi (aged 13 and 15). Supported and grounded by whānau and friends, she enjoys spending downtime in the ngahere on a mountain bike or exploring the trails on foot.
Dr Mangor Pedersen — PhD, MSc, BA
Dr Mangor Pedersen is an Associate Professor and Head of Psychology and Neuroscience at Auckland University of Technology (AUT), specialising in neuroscience, brain health and artificial intelligence. His research sits at the intersection of AI and neuroscience, with a focus on developing advanced technologies to better understand and measure human brain networks. He is AI Lead for the $60 million Australian Epilepsy Project and a researcher at AUT’s Brain Health Research Centre and Cognitive and Neuroscience Laboratory. Dr Pedersen has received numerous national and international awards for his research and brings expertise in brain development, brain health and emerging technologies to the panel. His work explores how advances in neuroscience and technology can deepen our understanding of the developing brain and help inform approaches that support wellbeing and resilience across the lifespan.
Location: KPMG 18 Viaduct Harbour Avenue, Auckland CBD, Auckland 1010
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