Abe Ropitini is a Māori and Aboriginal man of Ngāti Kahungunu and Ngāti Maniapoto iwi (Aotearoa) and Trawlwoolway (Northeastern Tasmania) descent. After growing up in Aotearoa, he has spent his adult life in Australia working across health, social services, policy, and research.

Abe also holds appointments at the University of Melbourne as a Senior Fellow in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health, and is a PhD candidate in medical anthropology at La Trobe University. His research involves correcting deficit discourses by focusing on how Aboriginal families maintain their oral histories through the recollection of treasured memories of happiness and belonging.