The highly regarded University of Otago researcher, senior leader and wahine toa is a professor at the School of Biomedical Sciences’ anatomy department.
She is a biomedically trained neuroscientist with a wide range of experiences working with Māori, the health research sector and government policy experts.
Prof Parr-Brownlie’s research specialty is Parkinson’s disease, and her internationally recognised expertise is in understanding how brain cell activity controls movement and the changes associated with Parkinson’s disease.
She has been the chairwoman of the Rauika Māngai (Māori leaders across the National Science Challenges and Ngā Pae o te Māramatanga), a member of the Brain Research New Zealand Rangahau Roro Aotearoa Centre of Research Excellence and the deputy chairwoman of the Neurological Foundation of New Zealand science advisory committee.
She is also the director of the Ageing Well National Science Challenge, a member of the Health Research Council biomedical research committee, co-chair of the health peer panel for the 2026 Performance Based Research Fund quality evaluation round, a member of the Mātauranga Science Insights Panel for the Ministry for the Environment, a board member for the Dodd Walls Centre Te Whai Ao Centre of Research Excellence and university anatomy department deputy head (Māori).
Prof Parr-Brownlie said she was looking forward to starting in her new role at MBIE on October 9.
"I have accepted this role because the ministry is developing and embedding the research, science and innovation sector for the next 20 years.
"I will draw on my experiences in Ageing Well and Rauika Māngai to ensure that the future science sector is improved, and delivers equitable outcomes for whānau, hapū, iwi and diverse Māori communities," she said.
MBIE’s departmental science advisers play a crucial role as connectors, fostering innovation and communication between MBIE and the science community and drawing on their extensive networks and expertise to bring fresh perspectives to work such as the Te Ara Paerangi Future Pathways science system reforms, the ministry says.
University of Otago health sciences acting deputy pro-vice-chancellor Neil Gemmell said the appointment was a key role and a "fitting reflection" of the mana Prof Parr-Brownlie held in New Zealand’s science community.
"Her role with MBIE will be a part-time secondment and she will continue with neuroscience research in her lab and will retain her many other leadership positions."
