Meet Claire McGlave: a counselor turned public health researcher and PhD student working to help us better understand health care access among low income people.
Where did you grow up? What is your academic background?
“I grew up in St. Paul, MN. I went to Bates College in Maine for my undergraduate degree, where I studied sociology, Spanish, and dance performance. I also received an MPH in health policy from the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health in 2019.”
What was that moment in your life when you decided you wanted to study public health?
“I lived in Boston after college and worked as a counselor supporting unhoused people struggling with addiction. I became really frustrated that the health system was not meeting their needs. We have a wide array of medical technologies, but many people can’t access them because of structural factors. So I decided that I wanted to do work to ensure that everyone has equitable access to health.”
What specific issue, problem, or area of research in public health do you care the most about and why?
“I am most passionate about ensuring meaningful access to high quality health care—ranging from cancer screenings to primary care—especially for low-income patients. My research is focused on contraception and reproductive health because maintaining agency over one’s body has tremendous impacts on work, social, and financial well-being.”
Are you currently involved in any public health research or professional work?
“My dissertation work uses data from Medicaid beneficiaries to better understand access to contraception among low-income people. I plan on translating that work into materials that can be disseminated to those who aren’t in academia–like state policymakers or Medicaid directors–to help them better understand who has access to services and who does not.”
Why did you choose to come to the U of M School of Public Health (SPH)?
“The faculty were what led me to SPH. There were easily seven to eight faculty members that I wanted to work with, with a diverse array of experiences and identities, and they seemed committed to supporting students and mentorship—something that is honestly not a given when going into a PhD program. Now, I work with amazing faculty like associate professors Sayeh Nikpay and Hannah Neprash that have supported my work and pushed me to develop my ideas. And of course, having family in Minnesota is a bonus.”
What do you like about your program?
“First, I really love the opportunity to take courses across a range of disciplines and colleges. Even though I’m based at SPH, I have taken courses at the Humphrey School of Public Affairs and in the Applied Economics Department, which has been useful to meet new people and gain new perspectives. Second, the division of Health Policy & Management has been a launching point for my career because I have been fortunate to work with faculty that are committed to students. I worked as a research assistant at SHADAC; The faculty and staff there helped me develop analytic skills, communication skills, practice presentations, and go to conferences.”
What do you like to do when you’re not in class?
“I love to dance! I’ve tried a lot of different styles, with hip-hop and salsa being my favorites. I also like doing things outside, with hobbies that change by season—in the winter, it’s Nordic skiing, and in the summer, it’s hiking.”
What do you like about living in Minnesota?
“Accessing the outdoors is so easy. You can walk five minutes and be by the river, or drive half an hour and be in the woods. That contrast is really important to me when living in the city. I also love the diversity of immigrant communities in St. Paul and Minneapolis. The cities welcome a lot of people from Southeast Asia and Eastern Africa, which make them a fun place to live with lots of great food.”
