Dr. Tuisano was born in Dunedin and raised in Invercargill. Her mother, Melitiana Tuisano, was from Tokelau, and her father, Pailate Tuisano, has roots in Samoa and Tokelau. She is one of seven siblings and is a qualified Registered Nurse with a Master of Arts in Nursing (2010) and a PhD in Public Health (2021). Her dissertation, “Māopoopo: A socio-cultural collective understanding to improve wellbeing amongst Pacific people in Aotearoa/NZ,” offers an indigenous research perspective on Pacific wellbeing.
Dr. Tuisano is a Postdoctoral Fellow at the Research Centre Hauora Health, Massey University Wellington Campus, supported by the Pacific Health Research Council of New Zealand. Her current research (2022-2026) focuses on Cultural Intelligence and Cultural Safety for Tokelau Youth. She also serves as a committee reviewer for the Pacific Health Research Council of New Zealand.
Dr. Tuisano is passionate about the revitalization of Gagana Tokelau. She led the project to reprint the Tokelau Dictionary (1986) and coordinated its distribution to Tokelau communities in Aotearoa, Hawaii, and Australia. She has been a Tokelau Interpreter and Translating Coordinator for the Administrator of Tokelau (Ministry of Foreign Affairs) since 2020 and is part of the working committee for NZQA Unit Standards for Gagana Tokelau (2023). She also supports NCEA Tokelau teaching initiatives for secondary students.
Dr. Tuisano speaks Gagana Samoa (Fluent), English, Te Reo Māori (Understanding of tikanga and kaupapa Māori), and Gagana Tokelau (Fluent).
Dr. Tuisano hosts a monthly Tokelau PhD Zoom Talanoaga for doctoral candidates and holders, fostering academic connection and knowledge-sharing within the Tokelau community.
Tokelau ke Olatia! – May Tokelau thrive!