Karina McHardy is a New Zealand health professional and writer with a career spanning clinical care, academia, health strategy, and global public health. She has contributed to major initiatives across the national health system and worked internationally with the University of Oxford and the World Health Organization. She holds a medical degree from the University of Auckland, a master’s in global health, and a doctorate from the University of Oxford. Karina was recognised for her work in the public policy domain as a finalist in the New Zealand Woman of Influence Awards in 2020; and was named as one of the University of Auckland’s ’40 Under 40’ the following year. A former elite gymnast and classical ballet dancer, she brings creativity, discipline and heart to all she does. Karina now focuses on improving outcomes for neurodiverse children and lives with her husband and young twins.