Claudia Hanson new professor of Global Health Systems Research

Originally trained as a medical doctor with a specialization in gynecology and obstetrics, Claudia Hanson also holds advanced degrees in epidemiology and international health. Her work brings together clinical, public health, and systems thinking, to better understand what works in real-world settings – and why. Over the past two decades, she has worked extensively globally with a focus in East Africa, including Tanzania, Kenya, Uganda and Malawi. She built long-standing collaborations with research institutions and international partners across the globe.

Her research focuses on strengthening health systems to improve the quality of care, particularly during pregnancy, childbirth and the neonatal period. She currently leads several international research projects aimed at reducing perinatal mortality and improving decision-making and quality of care in diverse healthcare settings. Alongside her research, she is actively involved in doctoral education and global research collaborations and contributes as an adviser to international organizations such as the World Health Organization. 

Congratulations on the appointment! How do you see this professorship strengthening global health research at the department and at KI more broadly? 

"I see the professorship valuing a transdisciplinary and multicounty career path crossing many boundaries before coming to Sweden and Karolinska Institutet. Going forward, I hope this will give many opportunities for important knowledge generation and impact on society."

From your experience, what are the biggest challenges in translating evidence into practice in low- and middle-income countries? 

"The largest challenge in the past was the imbalance between the resource level in terms of money, knowledge and power on one side and the determination and perceived expertise of global players on the other side. This gap has been closing – which gives me hope – but we need to be mindful how fast gaps can widen again."

Do you have any advice for young researchers interested in global health?

"The engine for success is personal drive, curiosity and self-effectiveness. The art of success lies in being kind, generous and flexible – and learning should never stop in life!"