Claire Deakin

Dr. Claire Deakin is a Lecturer in Health Leadership and Management in the School of Population Health at the University of New South Wales, and an Embedded Academic in Western Sydney Local Health District (WSLHD). With over ten years of research experience as a translational researcher, she works directly with WSLHD senior executives, managers and frontline clinicians to generate evidence that improves healthcare quality and efficiency.

Her research focuses on health systems and health services across hospital, community and district-wide services, leveraging her expertise in cohort studies, advanced statistical and epidemiological methods, health data science, data linkage and genomics. She works with observational real-world datasets including electronic health records, linked administrative datasets and genomic data.

Dr. Deakin's research, which includes over 40 peer-reviewed publications, has led to major advances in understanding and treatment of rheumatic diseases, particularly rare diseases such as juvenile myositis. Her work demonstrates strong integration of biostatistics with clinical practice to address real-world healthcare challenges.

Her recent publications show a strong focus on autoimmune conditions, particularly juvenile inflammatory diseases, with emphasis on interferon pathways, mitochondrial dysfunction, and biomarker development. She also conducts significant research on real-world medication use and treatment patterns in chronic conditions like rheumatoid arthritis and systemic lupus erythematosus.

Dr. Deakin holds qualifications including a BSc (Hons), LLB (Hons), and PhD. Her work bridges the gap between academic research and practical healthcare delivery through her embedded position with WSLHD, allowing for direct translation of research findings into clinical practice.