Noah Bunkley
Noah wants to do his part to improve the world by addressing the structural causes of disease, strengthen health systems and the determinants of health, and fight for global health justice.
“I wanted to study medicine because I wanted a career where I could help people and make a difference. After completing my final year overseas elective placement at a rural hospital in Tanzania and gaining a deeper understanding of the upstream determinants of health, I decided to move into public health with a focus on global health equity. I realised that to make a bigger difference, I needed to address the structural causes of disease, strengthen health systems and the determinants of health, and fight for global health justice.
"My PhD thesis topic is titled “Assessing the impact of cool roofs on health and wellbeing of household residents in Niue”. I’m exploring the effectiveness of reflective roof coatings (called cool roofs) on Niue residents' health and wellbeing to see if they are a potentially safe, affordable, easy-to-implement and scalable climate change adaptation intervention for low-resource settings in the Pacific and globally.
I am passionate about addressing the determinants of global health inequities. Climate change is one of the most pressing issues already risking the health and wellbeing of billions of people worldwide. It will particularly affect those communities already marginalised, where populations are living in vulnerable settings, and threaten to worsen global inequities. I want to contribute to the work of combating the impacts of climate change and other global drivers of disease through my research.
"The most rewarding part of my PhD journey so far has been working with Niuean communities and hearing their stories. I have had the privilege of visiting Niue several times and getting to know the people there. This project would not have been possible without their amazing work and support. I also have fantastic supervisors who support me in completing high-quality research and connect me with other researchers working in the field around the world.
"My advice to someone considering doctoral study is to do something you care deeply about because it is a long and hard journey.”