Dr George Laking
Lung cancer, rural oncology, Māori health equity, medicines policy, health policy.
MBChB, BMedSci, MD, PhD, FRACP.
Ko Mātaatua te waka, ko Mākeo te maunga, ko Ōpepe te awa, ko Ōpape te marae, ko Te Whakatōhea te iwi. Tīhei Mauri Ora!
On his father's side, George is from Lincolnshire England, on his mother's side he is from Te Whakatōhea. He grew up in Wellington and studied medicine in Dunedin and Wellington. He completed his postgraduate work in Britain where he wrote his MD on tumour perfusion and his PhD on the economics of diagnosis. His clinical practice focuses on sarcoma and rural oncology.
Since 2007 George has worked as a Medical Oncologist at Te Pūriri o Te Ora the Northern Region Cancer and Blood Service, where he is the Māori Health Lead. In 2022 he was appointed as Manutaki Haumanu Māori Clinical Director at Te Aka Mātauranga Matepukupuku. After some years witnessing the effects of delayed cancer diagnosis, George shifted his research focus to health systems reform. He is working on a project to adopt a new community-based model of care in cancer.
George is a Medical Director of the Cancer Society of New Zealand, and a member of Hei Āhuru Mōwai Maori Cancer Leadership Aotearoa, and Ora Taiao the New Zealand Climate and Health Council. He is a past President, Aotearoa and New Zealand, of the Royal Australasian College of Physicians, where for several years he also chaired the Māori Health Committee. He is a past Chair of Te Ohu Rata o Aotearoa the Māori Medical Practitioners' Association. He is a former member of PHARMAC's Pharmacology and Therapeutics Advisory Committee (PTAC).
Areas of Expertise: Hauora Māori, sarcoma, rural oncology, lung cancer, electronic cigarettes, tobacco control, medicines policy, health economics, AYA oncology, climate change.
Source: Waipapa Taumata Rau - University of Auckland.
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