Dr Myra Ruka
Clinical equity lead, clinical haematologist, cancer researcher.
Dr Myra Ruka (Ngāpuhi, Ngāti Kuri, Raukawa) is a clinical equity lead, clinical haematologist, cancer researcher.
Myra has shown leadership in advancing Māori health equity and kaupapa Māori led practices in tertiary healthcare services and cancer research. However her recent two-year appointment as Co-lead for the newly-established Cancer National Clinical Network is testament to her respected expertise in the cancer control space in general.
In this role Myra co-lead twenty other clinical experts from across the motu and all aspects of cancer from prevention, screening, diagnosis to care - including palliative and end-of-life care - to help make a difference in the lives of people and whānau affected by cancer, and reduce health inequities and the impact of cancer.
Through her roles as co-chair of the Te Whatu Ora Waikato Clinical Equity Leadership, Waikato Clinical Procedures Committee and member of the Board of Clinical Governance, Myra has provided strategic direction and led local and regional service planning efforts, resulting in significant equity gain.
She co-led the design and implementation of a Kaupapa Māori service at Te Whatu Ora Waikato working collaboratively with Māori leaders, kaimānaki (patient navigators), patients, whānau (family) and the organisation, to address waitlist inequities in planned care services. She serves as member of Hei Āhuru Mōwai and is the Clinical Equity Lead at Te Aho o Te Kahu Cancer Control Agency.
Myra’s leadership is also evident in her PhD research project, co-designing and implementing a Māori led Cancer service in collaboration with Te Whatu Ora Waikato. Her commitment to advancing equity and culturally safe practices in cancer research is further demonstrated through collaboration with her role as equity research advisor for CAR-T cell therapy research at the Malaghan Institute, Wellington.
Links:
https://www.cancer.org.nz/about-us/cancer-research/myra-ruka