Solomon Islands doctoral student knows value of representation

Liana Sabetian is in the first year of doctoral research in Biomedical Science and understands the importance of representing her heritage nation—the Solomon Islands.

The Waipapa Taumata Rau, University of Auckland student says being in the research space at a PhD level has enabled her to be a source of knowledge for her community. Liana’s whakapapa hails from Vavanga Village on the island of Kolombangara in the Western Province of the Solomon Islands.

“I am very proud to represent Melanesia in the research space, especially in the laboratory. I hope that I can inspire more of our youth to pursue tertiary education. We need more Melanesian representation in all areas of healthcare and medicine.”

The Solomon Islands is a Melanesian country but also has small Micronesian and Polynesian communities. More than 70 different languages are spoken, with the most widely spoken language being Pijin.

Having completed her undergraduate and Masters degrees at the University of Auckland, Liana initially had her sights set on Medicine.

“I came up through Biomed undergrad, but I made myself open to different avenues. I realised I didn’t want to get into medicine—I figured out it wasn’t for me. I started looking at metabolism, reproductive health, all those types of ‘science-y’ stuff.”

Although her research is more explorative—working with animals rather than people and conducting experiments in a laboratory—Liana says her cultural identity shapes the way she approaches her work and considers its implications.

Her area of research also relates to conditions on the rise back home in the Solomon Islands.

“I have always been interested in research relating to metabolic health, specifically obesity and type 2 diabetes. My PhD project explores the insulin signalling pathway, which is very important for controlling our blood sugar levels and body weight.”

Being able to ‘tok stori’ with her community about the importance of blood sugar control is a privilege, she says, especially with type 2 diabetes on the rise in the Solomon Islands.

“I’m really passionate about this research. I presented my Masters project—this is just a continuation and a way to achieve my PhD,” says Liana.

She’s enjoying the experience of working in a laboratory, especially with her first experiment already under her belt.

“That’s what attracted me to this project—that it’s not necessarily dealing directly with the community, but it’s a different avenue.”

Attending conferences has also exposed Liana to the wide range of ongoing research and the importance of representation.

“It’s been eye-opening, seeing the range of research and the type of representation that’s actually going on,” she says, referring to academics from across the wider Pacific region.

Liana also values educating others about her home country.

“I joined a Pasifika association on campus in Grafton—not many people knew about Solomon Islanders or where the Solomon Islands was. I told them we’re just north-east of Australia,” she says.

“It comes down to the fact that we’re quite reserved people— and also our Solomon Islands community here in New Zealand is small”