Associate Professor Kyle Wilby.
An opportunity to advance his research, clinical, and teaching interests and a desire for a lifestyle change combined to lead Dr Kyle Wilby to the School of Pharmacy at the University of Otago.
Dr Wilby was appointed Associate Professor of Pharmacy Education at the School in September 2018. Prior to that he spent six years employed at Qatar University in the Middle East, having earlier studied and worked in Canada and Ghana.
Throughout his career he has developed enduring interests in pharmacy education, assessment, communication, infectious diseases, and international health.
He sees his position at the School of Pharmacy as an ideal chance to combine past experience alongside advancing the next career steps.
“I hope to help move the curriculum forward and I think my expertise in curriculum evaluation will be beneficial.
“I have a lot of experience in interprofessional education, working and engaging with students to advance their capabilities to work together as a healthcare team.”
From a research perspective, one of his goals is to be known as a leading researcher in health education and he would like to help develop a centre for health education research at the University of Otago.
Having met in the Middle East, he and his Brazilian-born husband, Willian, were keen to live in a country where their marriage would be openly acknowledged and accepted. New Zealand, and Dunedin in particular, have met all expectations.
“We knew Dunedin was small and we were not sure what to expect here. But everyone is supportive, which is awesome, and we feel very comfortable.
“Our lifestyle here is nice – it's quite chilled compared to what it was back in Qatar.”
They've found a sunny house to live in and they're basking in the “laid-back Kiwi life”. Enjoying New Zealand wines, running, biking, exploring, and listening to live music are high on their list of interests.
Like many others, they have found that moving to New Zealand has prompted friends and family to want to visit and they have a growing list of guests booked to stay.
Dr Wilby received his Bachelor of Science in Pharmacy from the University of Saskatchewan in Saskatoon, Canada, and then completed an advanced clinical residency with Vancouver Coastal Health in Canada. In 2009 he relocated to Accra, Ghana to work in health professional development and sustainability of public health services.
In 2012 he graduated from the postgraduate Doctor of Pharmacy programme at the University of British Columbia in Vancouver, Canada, and subsequently relocated to Doha where he became Associate Dean for Academic Affairs at Qatar University.