Red X iconGreen tick iconYellow tick icon
Skip to main content

Contact Details

Email
snita.ahir-knight@otago.ac.nz

University Links

Position
Lecturer (Programme Lead)
Department
Department of Psychological Medicine (Wellington)

Research

Snita is the Programme Lead for the lived experience education and research programme World of Difference | He Ao Whakatoihara kore within the Department of Psychological Medicine. She was previously a visiting research scholar in philosophy and a teaching fellow in ethics at Te Herenga Waka—Victoria University of Wellington.

She received a Degree in Social Work from Oxford Brookes University, a Master’s degree in Philosophy from the University of London, and a PhD in Philosophy from Te Herenga Waka—Victoria University of Wellington.

Her PhD thesis can be viewed via the Te Herenga Waka—Victoria University of Wellington Open Access website.

Snita is a trained child and adolescent therapist, and social worker. She has more than 15 years’ experience working in the not-for-profit, community, and mental health sectors in New Zealand and the UK.

Her main lens is philosophy; however, her not-for-profit, community, and mental health work background alongside her lived experience are important components of how she approaches her teaching and research.

Snita's research interests include mental disorder, health, children, youth and the parenting relationship.

You are welcome to contact her with collaborative opportunities, community partnership ideas, media enquiries and postgraduate supervision requests.

Publications

Ahir-Knight, S. (2026, August). From silence to recognition: Towards a theory of responsive listening. Philosophy Programme Research Seminar Series, Victoria University of Wellington, Wellington, New Zealand. [Department Seminar]. Other Research Output

Ahir-Knight, S. (2026). Harm reduction in non-suicidal self-harm. Proceedings of the Australasian Association of Philosophy (AAP) Conference. Retrieved from https://aap.org.au Conference Contribution - Published proceedings: Abstract

Ahir-Knight, S., Parkinson, A., & Jackson, S. (2026, July). Research: Why, how, what? Panel discussion at the Supporting Parents Healthy Children National Forum, Wellington, New Zealand. Conference Contribution - Verbal presentation and other Conference outputs

Ahir-Knight, S., & Godfrey, H. (2026). Lived experience is often dismissed: But we should recognise it as a form of expertise. The Conversation. doi: 10.64628/AA.jygdpqf9y Journal - Research Other

McKenzie, S. K., Ramsden, G., Every-Palmer, S., Ahir-Knight, S., & Oliffe, J. L. (2026). 'It puts you at odds with society': Masculinity and men's experiences of mental illness stigma. Qualitative Health Research. Advance online publication. doi: 10.1177/10497323261450776 Journal - Research Article

Back to top