Rachel Irwin

riwrin100x130.jpgBorn: 1983 
Citizenship: USA
Position at SIPRI:Researcher
Subject expertise: Global health diplomacy; health, trade and international relations; medical anthropology; health systems and policy
Languages: English, German, Swedish (basic) 
Education: Phd Candidate, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine; MSc, International Health Policy, London School of Economics; MPhil, Oxford.
Contact: Email Phone: +46 8 655 97 75 

Ms Rachel Irwin is a researcher in the Global Health and Security Programme at SIPRI. Recent and current research projects include the politics of avian influenza in Indonesia, barriers to polio eradication and diplomacy at the World Health Organization and other global fora.  Prior to joining SIPRI she worked on European health systems and pharmaceutical policy at the London School of Economics. She obtained her MPhil in Medical Anthropology from Oxford and her MSc in International Health Policy from the LSE. She also holds a BA in Anthropology and German Studies from Case Western Reserve University. She is currently a PhD candidate at the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine where her research focuses on global health diplomacy, trade and health.  Prior to joining SIPRI in 2011, Ms Irwin has lived in the UK, Switzerland and Kenya.

Current activities
  • Researcher, Global Health and Security Programme
Former positions
  • Research assistant, LSE Health, London School of Economics, 2007-2011
  • Intern, World Health Organization, Geneva, 2010-2011
  • Intern, Chatham House (Royal Institute of International Affairs), London, 2010
Professional affiliations
  • Royal Institute of Anthropology
  • American Anthropological Association
  • International Studies Association
  • British International Studies Association
  • Young Professionals in Foreign Policy
  • Royal Institute of International Affairs (Chatham House)
Recent publications
  • Irwin, R., Säfstrom, C. and Clevestig, P. 'Säkra vems hälsa för vem? Problematisiering av nexuset hälsa och säkerhet' Internasjonal Politikk. Vol. 70(2012) No.2, pp. 236-244.
  • Ladurner, Joy., Gerger, M., Holland, W.W., Mossialos, E., Merkur, S., Stewart, S., Irwin, R., Soffried, Jürgen (eds), Public health in Austria - an analysis of the status of public health, Observatory Studies Series 24, European Observatory on Health Systems and Policies, WHO, 2011. Access the publication here.
  • Charlesworth, C., Galsworthy, M., Irwin, R., Wismar, M, Ernst, K, McKee, M., "Health Research in the European Union: Over-controlled but under-measured?", European Journal of Public Health, Vol. 21(2011) No. 4, pp. 404-406.
  • Irwin, R. and J.D. Cylus, "The Way Forward for the Romanian Health Care System", Medica academia, June 2011 (in Romanian).
  • Irwin, R. "Indonesia, H5N1 and ambiguities in international agreements". Global Health Governance, Vol. 3(2010) No. 2. Access the article here.
  • Ernst, K., Irwin, R., Charlesworth, K., Galsworth, M., McKee, M., Wismar, M., "Difficulties of tracing health research funded by the European Union", Journal of Health Services Research and Policy, Vol. 15(2010) No. 2, pp. 133-136.
  • Irwin, R, “Culture Shock: negotiating feelings in the field.” Chapter in Culture Shock-An Introduction, ICFAI University Press, 2007.
  • Irwin, R. "Anthropology’s ‘Taboo:’ Culture Shock", Anthropology Matters, January 2007.