Kiri Prentice is a consultant psychiatrist with extensive experience across various mental health services in the Auckland region, specializing in Māori, adult community, and maternal mental health.

Kiri currently serves as the Deputy Clinical Director Māori in Mental Health and Addiction Services at Counties Manukau. Previously, Kiri held the position of Deputy Chief Medical Officer Māori at Te Pātaka Whaioranga | Pharmac and worked as a Professional Teaching Fellow in the Department of Psychology at the University of Auckland.

Her dedication to advancing mental health research is further demonstrated through her role as a trustee of the Whau Mental Health Research Foundation (formerly the Oakley Mental Health Research Foundation). Kiri was also a key member of the Expert Advisory Group responsible for advising on the repeal and replacement of the Mental Health (Compulsory Assessment and Treatment Act) 1992.

In 2023, she joined Te Whiri Kaha | Māori Clinical Advisory Senate and received the prestigious Pirika Taonga Award from the Royal Australia and New Zealand College of Psychiatrists, acknowledging her significant contributions to Māori mental health and addiction in Aotearoa New Zealand.

Kiri’s interests include Te Taiao (nature), hauora Māori, mental health, Māori philosophy, education, and law. She incorporates these passions into her teaching of medical students, psychiatry registrars, and other health professionals. Additionally, Kiri shares educational content through her YouTube channel and website, Māori Minds, further enriching the understanding of Māori mental health and well-being..