Lara's interest in healthcare was solidified while working with landmine victims in the African continent at the age of 17. She has since continued to serve in Refugee and Migrant Health as well as Public Health internationally, often remaining focused on rehabilitation. Two common threads throughout all aspects of rehabilitation that she endevours to focus on are restoration and hope. These are the important pillars that Lara tries to integrate into all aspects of learning, teaching and leading, whether this is patient focused or system focused.
Equality and equity have remained an emphasis for her own business endevours as well as her research and this passion drives her to advocate and teach in the space of equity and hidden bias within New Zealand and beyond. Her research has focused on culturally adapted health services and she is currently exploring the effects of cultural humility in organisational leadership while completing her DrPH Global Health Leadership. She will soon complete a project within New Zealand based around equity awareness within the New Zealand healthcare system and more specifically the topic of hidden bias in the delivery of chronic pain management services.
With learning across multiple countries and in many roles, she hopes her experience will benefit the current and future workforce in healthcare and leadership nationally and beyond, as well as the patients she aims to serve.