Julie Spray

Guest writer

Julie Spray is an honorary fellow at the University of Auckland's School of Population Health, and a postdoctoral research associate at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis. She received her Ph.D. in anthropology from the University of Auckland in 2018 and her book, The Children in Child Health: Negotiating Young Lives and Health in New Zealand is newly available through Rutgers University Press.

Kids draw their pandemic memories

Kids draw their pandemic memories

How are children experiencing the pandemic, and what will they remember from the past two years?

By Julie Spray | 30th May, 2022

Photo: Getty Image, additional design by Tina Tiller

How Covid vaccines upend our assumptions about protecting kids

Children shouldn't be asked to protect the adults in their lives, goes the common argument. But why not?

By Julie Spray | 19th January, 2022

Illustrations by Julie Spray, additional design by Tina Tiller

Are we being inclusive enough of children in our pandemic response?

Children make up 20% of the population but close to 0% of Covid-19 messaging.

By Julie Spray | 24th November, 2021

Getty Images

A free school lunch isn’t just about hunger, but about dignity

Dr Julie Spray spent a year eating lunch with primary school students in a disadvantaged part of South Auckland. Here's what she learned.

By Julie Spray | 24th May, 2021

Getty Images

Children are experiencing the pandemic too

The world has suddenly shifted into disruption and uncertainty, and children’s lives are shifting with it. What does Covid-19 mean for them?

By Julie Spray | 25th March, 2020