BA , MEd, MFA , PhD
Senior Research Fellow
Contact details
Email lori.leigh@otago.ac.nz
Research interests and activities
Dr Lori Leigh (they/she) is a Research Fellow with the Department of Public Health at the University of Otago, Wellington. Lori brings interdisciplinary expertise across public health, LGBTQIA+ and Takatāpui wellbeing, and arts/creative‑based research methodologies. Trained across the humanities, social sciences, and health research, Lori has held senior academic roles including Senior Lecturer, Programme Director, and Director of Postgraduate Programmes, alongside a parallel career as an award‑winning writer, theatre‑maker, and educator.
Lori is currently a Research Fellow with ASPIRE Aotearoa. undertaking qualitative research that explores lived experiences of accessing and using illicit tobacco, with a focus on social context, wellbeing, and structural inequity. Their work is grounded in social justice, cultural safety, and community‑centred approaches to tobacco control. Looking ahead, Lori is developing exploratory research on tobacco and nicotine use within Rainbow communities.
Prior to joining ASPIRE, Lori worked with the Housing and Health team (He Kāinga Oranga) at the University of Otago, where they co‑created a Māori wellbeing guide. Their wider research explores queer and Takatāpui wellbeing in Aotearoa New Zealand, bridging interdisciplinary scholarship and public‑facing research.
Lori works part-time as the Student Care Coordinator for the Faculty of Medicine offering holistic wellbeing support to students.
Publications
Waa, A., Hoek, J., Gartner, C., Edwards, R., Leigh, L., Nip, J., & Teddy, L. (2026). Responding to illicit tobacco trade but not at the expense of sound tobacco control policy. The Briefing, (13 May). Retrieved from https://www.phcc.org.nz/briefing/responding-illicit-tobacco-trade-not-expense-sound-tobacco-control-policy Journal - Research Other
Buchanan, M., Yee, C., Gordon, A., Pierse, N., O'Sullivan, K. C., & Leigh, L. (2026). Disabled children’s capabilities in housing: A mixed-methods survey of parents and guardians. Wellbeing, Space & Society, 10, 100396. doi: 10.1016/j.wss.2026.100396 Journal - Research Article
Olin, C. V., Witten, K., Randal, E., Chisholm, E., Logan, A., Howden-Chapman, P., & Leigh, L. (2025). Placemaking and the Complexities of Measuring Impact in Aotearoa New Zealand’s Public and Community Housing: From Theory to Practice and Lived Experience. Architecture, 5, 69. doi: 10.3390/architecture5030069 Journal - Research Article
Yu, C., Buchanan, M., Te Ora, E., Pehi, T., Leigh, L., Howden-Chapman, P., … Pierse, N. (2025). The importance of housing assistance on reducing youth offending in New Zealand. Urban Policy & Research, 43(2), 121-136. doi: 10.1080/08111146.2025.2503141 Journal - Research Article
O'Sullivan, K. C., Buchanan, M., Leigh, L., Dohig, R. K., Pehi, T., Jenkins, M., Pierse, N., … Fraser, B. (2025). Working with community research partners to undertake sensitive public health interviews: A qualitative protocol to enhance rigour and safety. International Journal of Qualitative Methods, 24. doi: 10.1177/16094069251337204 Journal - Research Other