Ayesha Verrall

Ayesha Verrall
Verrall in 2023
43rd Minister of Health
In office
1 February 2023 – 27 November 2023
Prime MinisterChris Hipkins
Preceded byAndrew Little
Succeeded byShane Reti
2nd Minister for COVID-19 Response
In office
14 June 2022 – 1 February 2023
Prime MinisterJacinda Ardern
Chris Hipkins
Preceded byChris Hipkins
Succeeded byPosition abolished
27th Minister for Research, Science and Innovation
In office
14 June 2022 – 27 November 2023
Prime MinisterJacinda Ardern
Chris Hipkins
Preceded byMegan Woods
Succeeded byJudith Collins
14th Minister for Seniors
In office
6 November 2020 – 1 February 2023
Prime MinisterJacinda Ardern
Chris Hipkins
Preceded byTracey Martin
Succeeded byGinny Andersen
8th Minister for Food Safety
In office
6 November 2020 – 14 June 2022
Prime MinisterJacinda Ardern
Preceded byDamien O'Connor
Succeeded byMeka Whaitiri
Member of the New Zealand Parliament
for Labour party list
Assumed office
17 October 2020
Personal details
Born
Ayesha Jennifer Verrall

1979 (age 44–45)
Invercargill, New Zealand
NationalityNew Zealand
Maldivian
Political partyLabour
SpouseAlice
Children1
RelativesMohamed Nasheed (cousin)
Alma materUniversity of Otago (MB ChB, PhD)
London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine (MSc)
Gorgas Institute (DipTropMedH)
WebsiteUniversity of Otago profile
Scientific career
FieldsInfectious diseases
InstitutionsUniversity of Otago, Wellington
ThesisInnate Factors in Early Clearance of Mycobacterium tuberculosis (2018)
Doctoral advisorsPhilip Hill
Katrina Sharples
Reinout van Crevel
Bachti Alisjahbana

Ayesha Jennifer Verrall MP FRACP (/ˈʃə/ EYE-shə;[1] born 1979[2][3]) is a New Zealand politician, infectious-diseases physician, and researcher with expertise in tuberculosis and international health. She is a Labour Party Member of the New Zealand Parliament and a former Cabinet Minister with the roles of Minister of Health and Minister for Research, Science and Innovation. She has worked as a senior lecturer at the University of Otago, Wellington and as a member of the Capital and Coast District Health Board. During the COVID-19 pandemic she provided the Ministry of Health with an independent review and recommendations for its contact-tracing approach to COVID-19 cases.[4]

  1. ^ "New Labour MP Dr Ayesha Verrall straight into Cabinet". YouTube. RNZ. Retrieved 11 August 2021.
  2. ^ Cooke, Henry (10 November 2020). "Election 2020: Jacinda Ardern no longer the youngest person in her Cabinet, as average age shifts down". Stuff. Retrieved 29 October 2021.
  3. ^ Cite error: The named reference :6 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  4. ^ "One year on: Ayesha Verrall on how we've changed". Newsroom. 23 March 2021. Retrieved 19 September 2023.