Biography
Dr Peter Mataira (Māori, Aotearoa New Zealand) is a Professor of Social Work at Hawaiʻi Pacific University (HPU), United States, where he teaches courses in research, community and organisational practice, clinical assessments, and ethics. A passionate advocate for Indigenous health equity and social justice, Professor Mataira recently co-led two National Institutes of Health (NIH) projects exploring how artificial intelligence and machine learning (AI/ML) can help reduce health disparities among vulnerable populations in Hawai’i and the Pacific through predictive modeling. His work bridges Indigenous knowledge systems, data sovereignty, and community-based participatory research (CBPR) with cutting-edge technologies that support culturally grounded solutions. Professor Mataira and his colleague from HPU’s College of Computer Sciences recently submitted a R21 NIH grant to test their assistive clinical model. He currently supervises two practicum students on projects that examine how AI tools support community-defined goals for food security and on youth suicide education and prevention.
Panel Presentation (2026) | Education, Culture, and the Environment in an AI-Driven Era
