hi ▁descent . ▁She ▁is ▁an ▁associate ▁professor ▁at ▁the ▁University ▁of ▁A uck land . ▁Har wood ▁was ▁the ▁ 2 0 1 7 ▁New ▁Zealand ▁L ' Or éal ▁UN ES CO ▁For ▁Women ▁in ▁Science ▁Fellow . ▁Her ▁expert ise ▁is ▁in ▁M ā ori ▁health , ▁foc uss ed ▁on ▁reducing ▁health ▁in equ ity ▁by ▁impro ving ▁ind igen ous ▁health ▁and ▁well - be ing . ▁ ▁Early ▁life ▁and ▁education ▁ ▁Har wood ▁is ▁from ▁Ng ā pu hi ▁with ▁wh ak ap apa ▁links ▁to ▁Ng ā ti ▁Rang i , ▁Te ▁Mah ure h ure ▁and ▁Ng ā ti ▁H ine . ▁ ▁During ▁her ▁child hood , ▁Har wood ▁moved ▁to ▁Australia ▁with ▁her ▁family , ▁where ▁she ▁and ▁her ▁sib lings ▁experienced ▁rac ism ▁due ▁to ▁being ▁M ā ori . ▁ ▁Har wood ▁attended ▁high ▁school ▁in ▁rural ▁Victoria , ▁Australia , ▁where ▁she ▁studied ▁math s ▁( stat istics ▁and ▁calculus ), ▁chem istry , ▁physics ▁and ▁English , ▁and ▁was ▁one ▁of ▁the ▁four ▁first ▁female ▁physics ▁students ▁at ▁her ▁school , ▁despite ▁disc ou rag ement ▁from ▁the ▁science ▁department ▁and ▁male ▁students . ▁She ▁cred its ▁the ▁encourag ement ▁of ▁her ▁female ▁science ▁teacher ▁for ▁the ▁success ▁of ▁the ▁female ▁students . ▁ ▁Har wood ▁moved ▁back ▁to ▁New ▁Zealand ▁to ▁study ▁medicine ▁at ▁the ▁University ▁of ▁A uck land , ▁gradu ating ▁with ▁an ▁MB Ch B ▁in ▁ 1 9 9 4 . ▁No ▁one