Executive Director Research and Innovation
| School / Office | Office of Research and Innovation (University-wide) |
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donald.wilson@fnu.ac.fj ed-ri@fnu.ac.fj |
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| Campus | Nasinu Campus |
| Phone | +679 3394000 | Ext 2043 |
| Qualification | PhD in Environmental Epidemiology (UOEH, Japan), Executive Leadership Programme (University of Oxford), MBBS (The University of the South Pacific) |
| Research Areas | Environmental & Occupational Health, Epidemiology, Public Health, Health Systems, Research Leadership, Climate & Planetary Health |
| Publications | Author of more than 50 peer-reviewed publications in leading international journals including The Lancet and BMJ Global Health. |
| Professional Roles | Fellow of the Pacific Academy of Sciences; WHO Western Pacific Temporary Advisor; Wellcome Trust Awards Committee Member; Lancet Commissioner for Primary Health Care. |
Professor Donald Wilson is a physician-scientist and public health leader with more than two decades of experience spanning clinical medicine, environmental epidemiology, and research leadership in Fiji and across the Pacific. Since June 2026, he has served as Executive Director, Research and Innovation at Fiji National University (FNU), leading the University’s research strategy, strengthening research output, and expanding international partnerships across all disciplines.
Prior to this appointment, he served as Associate Dean Research and founding Director of the Fiji Institute of Pacific Health Research (FIPHR) within the College of Medicine, Nursing and Health Sciences, where he established and led a regional platform dedicated to Pacific-led health research.
Professor Wilson holds a Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) in Environmental Epidemiology from the University of Occupational and Environmental Health (Japan), an Executive Leadership Programme qualification from the University of Oxford’s Saïd Business School, and a Bachelor of Medicine, Bachelor of Surgery (MBBS) from The University of the South Pacific.
He is a Fellow of the Pacific Academy of Sciences, serves as a Temporary Advisor to the World Health Organization Western Pacific Region, sits on an awards committee for the Wellcome Trust, and is a Lancet Commissioner for Primary Health Care.
Professor Wilson has authored more than 50 peer-reviewed publications in internationally recognised journals including The Lancet, BMJ Global Health, Emerging Infectious Diseases, and The Lancet Regional Health. His research encompasses communicable and non-communicable diseases, environmental and occupational health, sexual and reproductive health, and the strengthening of research systems in Small Island Developing States.
He remains committed to strengthening Pacific research capacity, advancing Pacific-led public health scholarship, and fostering research excellence and innovation that supports sustainable development throughout Fiji and the wider Pacific region.