Research Seminar: Rheumatic Fever and Rheumatic Heart Diseases in Samoa
Asiata Professor Satupaitea Viali (Oceania University of Medicine) will talk about Rheumatic Fever and Rheumatic Heart Diseases in Samoa. He will cover how Samoa tackled this problem between the 1980s to 2016 and beyond. He will raise some issues on pathophysiology, clinical and surgery challenges for open discussions to support future collaborative research projects.
Date 2026 September 8th
time2:00 pm
venue501-110, 85 Park Road, Faculty of Medical and Health Sciences, Grafton, University of Auckland
Professor Viali is a leading cardiologist, current Vice-Chancellor of the Oceania University of Medicine, and an Honorary Professor in the Department of Molecular Medicine and Pathology at Waipapa Taumata Rau. After earning his BHB and MBChB from the University of Auckland, Professor Viali has dedicated over three decades to advancing Pacific health, notably pioneering extensive rheumatic heart disease echo-screening programs for tens of thousands of school children across Samoa.
He is a Fellow of the Pacific Academy of Sciences and maintains influential academic and clinical mentorship roles internationally, including with Yale University.
Professor Viali offers enduring mentorship to Pacific students, clinicians, and researchers, and he holds immense respect across Samoan government, communities, and the wider Pacific regional healthcare sector.