Deborah Early, PhD

Are you involved in designing for wellbeing? Are you concerned about people and planet? Do you look to the natural world for solutions? Do you want to make changes, but don't know how to?

The global pandemic of loneliness and the global crisis of climate change present complex public and environmental challenges at local and international levels. These are often approached as silos. I offer a path for professionals to bridge these silos, moving awareness to action, to support wellbeing and adaptation during times of change. (Learn about the new Bluewater Endeavours Virtual Art, Science & Design Residency here.)

About Deborah

Deborah Early, PhD was awarded, as a post graduate student, a Young Scientist Travel Fellowship to the prestigious International Biochemistry and Molecular Biology (IUBMB) Conference in India. Following that, her doctoral research was funded by a scholarship from the Dr Hadwen Trust, UK. She was first published as a nature poet and creative writer, at the age of about 16, in Debut; a new High School publication at that time. Her scientific curiosity was also sparked around then and she won Gold in a National High School Program for scientific research. Many years later she lived, for eight years, with her husband and son in a small, historic and forested artist and writers’ community in the USA. She currently lives off-grid, and with boat access only, on the Queen Charlotte (QC) Track in Aotearoa/New Zealand. She has been inspired by visits to the Himalayas in India, the Rockies and Appalachian Trail in the USA, the Scottish Highlights, the Swiss Alps, the Namib Desert in Africa, Lake Baikal in Russia, Girraween/Darling Downs in Australia, and the Andes in Peru, amongst others. Over the last 25 years Deborah has supported the planting of more than 2200  trees globally and, for over 20 years, she has supported an African non-profit organisation which cares for orphaned and abandoned children, as well as the vulnerable and marginalised. She is a bibliophile, voracious reader and loves gardens, traveling, bush walking, photography and drumming.

Scientific, Nature and Wellbeing Writing

Deborah’s world class writing has included science communication and regulatory documents (USA and UK), newsletters (USA), blogs (Australia, USA and Aotearoa/New Zealand), monographs and articles, book reviews, historical, science, permaculture, nature and wellbeing reports (USA, Aotearoa/New Zealand and UK), e-booklets (USA), online teaching material (Australia and USA) and research (UK, Africa, USA). Between 2004 and 2006 she was a workshop presenter and leader at the American Medical Writers Association’s Annual Conference/Princeton Conference, USA. She is a past president of the American Medical Writer’s Association Delaware Valley Chapter, USA and served on the Editorial Advisory Board of the Institute of Clinical Research, UK. Past clients, employers, collaborators and volunteer groups with which she has engaged include, numerous pharmaceutical companies and CROs (i3 Research, Ely Lilly, Chiltern; USA and UK), educational institutions (Nantien Institute; Australia, University of Florida - Center for Arts in Medicine, West Chester University and Drexel University College of Medicine; USA) and trusts (Te Ātiawa Trust; Aotearoa/ New Zealand). With an interest in behavoiur change, she is part of the American Psychological Association Division 34 (Society for Environmental, Population, and Conservation Psychology) Annual Convention Abstract Review Committee and Virtual Conference Committee for 2024. A bridge-builder, she recognises biophilia and how human wellbeing is interconnected and dependent on a healthy environment. Her current creative non-fiction writing and story-telling bridging art and science for social change inspire, entertain and educate readers internationally.

Scientific, Nature and Wellbeing Creative Non-fiction Audio and Interviews

Deborah is a published creative non fiction, audio-book author and at the start of the pandemic was interviewed on wellbeing by USA physical therapist Dr Gabe Kresge, Clinical Director of Kinetic Physical Therapy. Also in 2020 on Earth Day, she was interviewed, on nature connection and wellbeing, by UK-based Dr Vanessa Champion, Editor of The Journal of Biophilic Design. Deborah's doctoral placental research work was included in the 1998 documentary Human Touch, produced by Michael Howes Productions in the UK. More recently Deborah was interviewed locally and internationally about her new book and living off-grid in the Marlborough Sounds. 

Education

Trained internationally as a life scientist, with considerable additional holistic health training, her doctoral work involved placenta research. Debbie is keen to bridge science and mātauranga Māori, especially since the te reo Māori tangata whenua means “people of the land” or "placenta", metaphorically indicating the connection between people and land. She attended the first Ngā Niho Taniwha Wānanga held in Marlborough. She has a deep curiosity about medicinal botanics, especially those of Peru, Africa and the USA. She is humbled and delighted to be Airmid Institute's Ambassador for Aotearoa New Zealand working to protect medicinal and aromatic plants and animals. Now living in Queen Charlotte Sound/Tōtaranui, she is also interested in cultural wellbeing, social prescribing and nature-based solutions; honouring biomimicry to strengthen belonging and biophilia. She stimulates conversations to explore bridge-building across East-West and Indigenous philosophies and to cultivate wellbeing for people and planet. She is a member of the New Zealand Society of Authors, a previous Marlborough representative for the Top of the South Committee, as well as member of several local and international professional organizations.

Learn more about Debbie's publications and podcasts and find out what others say.