Charlene Tinaja
Student | Full-time | PhilippinesMSc Public Health
Educational/professional background
Hi there! I’m Charlene Tinaja from the Philippines. I am a BSc Public Health graduate, and have worked briefly in research, and extensively in the national HIV & STI surveillance, monitoring and evaluation (M&E), and data analytics. In those six years, I have worked with the national and local governments, development partners, and community members to strengthen data systems in the Philippines, providing a strong foundation for evidence-based HIV & STI programs. Later, I worked as the Monitoring and Evaluation Manager for The Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria – HIV Grant in the Philippines.
Research interests or career goals
With the Philippines having one of the most aggressive HIV and TB epidemics in the world, I aim to further contribute towards evidence-building (including conduct of evaluation methods) and implementation of sustainable health systems and programs in my country. In addition to data analytics and epidemiology, my interests include exploring the intersection of HIV (and other infectious diseases) and sociology, human rights, health economics and financing, health systems, and the important role of the community in public health.
Why I chose LSHTM / my programme
I chose LSHTM not only because of its prestige and global ranking in public health, but also because of the global expertise of the faculty members. Moreover, I am thrilled with how being with a diverse cohort of international students will enrich the whole learning experience. I chose MSc Public Health as the extensive and comprehensive range of modules will deepen my knowledge on the interdisciplinary nature of public health, equipping me with a richer understanding of the multifaceted factors influencing public health outcomes such as health systems, health economics and policy, social and behavioral sciences, and environment.
Extra information
As an international student who has moved to UK for the first time, I will be happy to share any information about UK or London life to the best of my knowledge. We all know how planning and thinking about studying in another country can be really intimidating and daunting, and I’ll be happy to talk more about it with you!