Introducing a new Committee Member: Claire Keene

I am thrilled to join the St John's Women's Network as a new committee member. Having completed my DPhil at St John's College in 2024, I am deeply grateful to the vibrant and supportive community that guided me throughout my academic journey.

Currently, I work as a health systems researcher and the Deputy Director of the MSc in Health Service Improvement and Evaluation, under the Nuffield Department of Medicine’s Centre for Global Health Research at Oxford. I have found myself here via a winding route: I began my career practicing as a medical doctor in South Africa before completing an MSc in International Health and Tropical Medicine at Oxford. I left clinical medicine and took on a role managing programmes for a large HIV and tuberculosis project at Médecins Sans Frontières. During the COVID pandemic, I was involved with exciting projects to support the local Department of Health in their COVID-19 response and led a team that set up the first COVID-19 field hospital in South Africa. I moved to Oxford and now find myself building an academic career!

My research explores people’s engagement with HIV care, predominantly in a South African public sector context. I am particularly interested in patterns of engagement over time and people’s experiences of services. I also do work implementing and evaluating differentiated models of care for people who are not engaging with the health system and need an alternative way of receiving care. I am interested in precision public health concepts and how they could be used to make service delivery more efficient and responsive to people’s needs. 

The Network's mission to celebrate, inspire, and support women across St John's College resonates with my commitment to fostering inclusivity and empowerment within academic and professional spheres. I am eager to contribute to initiatives that promote mentorship, facilitate meaningful connections, and support the aspirations of women within our community.

Reflecting on the support I've received throughout my career, I am passionate about paying it forward and creating opportunities for others. Through the Women's Network, I aim to continue the long-term work of cultivating an environment where every woman affiliated with St John's—be it as a student, alumna, fellow, or staff member—feels valued, supported, and empowered to achieve her goals. I hope that in my small way I can contribute to what the amazing women before me have built.