Claire Brolan
Honorary Advisor and Thematic Expert for Sustainable Development Goal 3 (Good Health and Well-being)
Dr. Claire Brolan is a strategic futures policy & research specialist committed to advancing:
• Human right to health services & determinants of health (access & equity)
• Health rights of persons with disability, disenfranchised & displaced populations, gender empowerment
• Participatory governance
• Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) governance, policy &planning (health & development)
• Human rights approaches to civil registration & vital statistics (CRVS) systems strengthening
Also she is a health justice and right to health (RTH) specialist with complementary specialist knowledge on policy, governance & health in the Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) of United Nations 2030 Agenda.
Her academic work has mainly had a global health & rights focus. But, with the new Human Rights Act of Queensland (HRAQ) entering into force in 2020, and that Act including the RTH, her research interests are shifting to focus on overt health rights in Australia - especially apt in the light of COVID-19's impact on a range of human rights of Australian citizens.
Her RTH knowledge is enhanced by her diverse legal, academic & civil society RTH networks found in all global regions, and first hand exposure to a breadth of complex RTH service access, research, and evidential issues. She originally trained in international human rights law (including access to essential medicines issues-HIV) & is a qualified lawyer (non-practising). With some 60 peer-reviewed & other publications behind her, and engagement in several prestigious global health/RTH research projects (including a 13 institute research collaborative advising the European Commission on the RTH & SDG 3 formulation, 2012-2015), she tackles complex policy & legal challenges by applying a mix of interdisciplinary research techniques & analytic approaches. These draw on her extensive international law, global health policy, social science (qualitative research), public health, & human rights education, training, & in–the-field experience.
Dr. Brolan's research approach reflects that game-changing SDG/'Leave No One Behind' policy & planning responses requiring 3 elements: (1) Interdisciplinary research collaboration involving academia, government, civil society, communities, and the private sector; (2) Focus on systemic change grounded in strong governance (including participatory governance) frameworks; and (3) SDG policy, planning, implementation, and M&E that involve effective, transparent & respectful partnerships at community, sub-national, national, regional, & global levels.
Her Postdoctoral Research Fellowship at the University of Toronto (2016 - 2018) focused on exploring the relationship between the human right to health in international law and human rights based approaches to civil registration and vital statistics (CRVS) systems strengthening to contribute to Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) achievement.
Experience
Centre for Policy Futures, The University of Queensland
Research Fellow
July 2018 - Present
Brisbane, Australia
University of Toronto
Postdoctoral Research Fellow specialising on the right to health
July 2016 - June 2018
Toronto, Canada
Postdoctoral Research Fellowship completed under the supervision of Professor Lisa Forman, Canada Research Chair in Human Rights and Global Health Equity, Dalla Lana School of Public Health, The University of Toronto.
Melbourne School of Population & Global Health, The University of Melbourne
Manager, Knowledge Management Centre, Bloomberg Philanthropies Data for Health Initiative
January 2017 - December 2017
Melbourne, Australia
The Bloomberg Philanthropies Data for Health Initiative is a AUD$100 million + research initiative funded by Bloomberg Philanthropies and the Australian Government's Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT) that focuses on CRVS system strengthening in 16+ plus countries around theworld.
University of Queensland
Global Health Academic
2010 - 2016
Brisbane, Australia
Education
Dalla Lana School of Public Health, University of Toronto
Postdoctoral Research , Right to Health · (2016 - 2018)
University of Queensland
PhD, Public Health · (2013 - 2016)
Bond University
LLB (Hons) and BA , BA - Majoring in Public Relations & CommunicationStudies · (1997 - 2000)
SOAS, University of London
Masters of Arts , International Studies and Diplomacy
