Sunia Foliaki is Tongan and a full time Senior Research Fellow at Massey University. His research focus in on Pacific health. Foliaki led the ISAAC studies in the Pacific islands which included an intervention asthma study that evolved into a full-time regular asthma clinic and an Asthma Self-management Plan that got incorporated into Tongas health clinical structure and resulted in significant improvement in asthma morbidity. Foliaki also leads various projects on NCDs among Pacific people in the Pacific and Pacific people in New Zealand in particular. Foliaki has embarked on a journey to excel in health research with health qualifications from the University of Papua New Guinea, Queensland University, Tulane University and Massey University.

Foliaki has at least 30 publications on asthma and NCDs to his name and research projects. Off work, Foliaki enjoys tennis, non-commercial fishing and cherishes time with family.