Ayesha Verrall
Ayesha Verrall | |
|---|---|
Verrall in 2023 | |
| 43rd Minister of Health | |
| In office 1 February 2023 – 27 November 2023 | |
| Prime Minister | Chris Hipkins |
| Preceded by | Andrew Little |
| Succeeded by | Shane Reti |
| 2nd Minister for COVID-19 Response | |
| In office 14 June 2022 – 1 February 2023 | |
| Prime Minister | Jacinda Ardern Chris Hipkins |
| Preceded by | Chris Hipkins |
| Succeeded by | Position abolished |
| 27th Minister for Research, Science and Innovation | |
| In office 14 June 2022 – 27 November 2023 | |
| Prime Minister | Jacinda Ardern Chris Hipkins |
| Preceded by | Megan Woods |
| Succeeded by | Judith Collins |
| 14th Minister for Seniors | |
| In office 6 November 2020 – 1 February 2023 | |
| Prime Minister | Jacinda Ardern Chris Hipkins |
| Preceded by | Tracey Martin |
| Succeeded by | Ginny Andersen |
| 8th Minister for Food Safety | |
| In office 6 November 2020 – 14 June 2022 | |
| Prime Minister | Jacinda Ardern |
| Preceded by | Damien O'Connor |
| Succeeded by | Meka Whaitiri |
| Member of the New Zealand Parliament for Labour party list | |
| Assumed office 17 October 2020 | |
| Personal details | |
| Born | Ayesha Jennifer Verrall 1979 (age 45–46) Invercargill, New Zealand |
| Nationality | New Zealand Maldivian |
| Political party | Labour |
| Spouse | Alice |
| Children | 1 |
| Relatives | Mohamed Nasheed (cousin) |
| Alma mater | University of Otago (MB ChB, PhD) London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine (MSc) Gorgas Institute (DipTropMedH) |
| Website | University of Otago profile |
| Scientific career | |
| Fields | Infectious diseases |
| Institutions | University of Otago, Wellington |
| Thesis | Innate Factors in Early Clearance of Mycobacterium tuberculosis (2018) |
| Doctoral advisors | Philip Hill Katrina Sharples Reinout van Crevel Bachti Alisjahbana |
Ayesha Jennifer Verrall (/ˈaɪʃə/ EYE-shə; born 1979) is a New Zealand politician, infectious-diseases physician and researcher with expertise in tuberculosis and international health. Since 2020 she has been a Member of the New Zealand House of Representatives for the Labour Party.
Verrall was previously a senior lecturer in pathology and molecular medicine at the University of Otago. She came to public attention during the COVID-19 pandemic when, after criticising the Government's pandemic response, she was commissioned to audit the contact tracing system. Soon after, she was elected to Parliament and appointed to the Cabinet. She served as Minister for Food Safety, Minister for Research, Science and Innovation, Minister for Seniors, and Minister of Health in the Sixth Labour Government.