Elise Racine

I joined the University of Oxford in October 2021 as a PhD candidate in Population Health, Clarendon Scholar, and recipient of the Baillie Gifford-Institute for Ethics in AI Scholarship. My research centers around the societal impacts, policy implications, and fundamental rights challenges of new/emerging technologies and data sources within global health—including biometrics, artificial intelligence, wearables, and mHealth applications. Some of my latest work includes an article with the Ada Lovelace Institute on understanding COVID-19 certificates in the context of recent health securitization trends, such as what narratives have framed pandemic-related technologies and who they leave out.

Currently, I am studying the ethics of utilizing tools like algorithmic systems and digital credentials for infectious disease surveillance under the supervision of Prof. Nina Hallowell, Dr. Stephanie Johnson, and Dr. Federica Lucivero. I am affiliated with Oxford’s Ethox Centre, Institute for Ethics in AI, and Wellcome Centre for Ethics and Humanities. I am also an advisor for the Oxford-Johns Hopkins Global Infectious Disease Ethics Collaborative (GLIDE) Wellcome Open Research Gateway.

Prior to commencing my doctorate, I received a Master of Public Administration with a concentration in digitalization and big data from the Hertie School in Berlin where I was a research associate on a project evaluating models of the COVID-19 pandemic and a recipient of the DAAD Prize 2020. I also hold a Master of Science with Distinction in Health and International Development from the London School of Economics and a Bachelor of Arts with Honors in Sociology from Stanford University.

My professional background spans the non-profit, public health, and private (think tank, consulting) sectors and has focused on expanding access and equity within these spaces. These include:

• Promoting economic development with an international microfinance organization,
• Innovating strategic solutions at a mission-driven consultancy,
• Managing crises for a premier trauma-informed treatment center, and
• Founding a digital health app centered around advocacy and community-powered education for young adults in efforts to combat major public health issues (e.g., sexual assault) on college campuses.

I look forward to connecting here or via email ([email protected])!