Claire is the Executive Director, Europe and Western Asia at the National Geographic Society, a global nonprofit organization that uses the power of science, exploration, education and storytelling to illuminate and protect the wonder of our world. Claire’s role is to identify, support and grow the community of National Geographic Explorers (i.e. grantees) in the region, and help to elevate them across the media side of National Geographic. She joined National Geographic Society in 2017 and prior to this she was the Global Director of Science for the British Council.
Claire has a PhD in heart development from the Randall Institute, King’s College London. She worked as a post-doctoral researcher on neural development at the Hubrecht Institute for Developmental Biology, in the Netherlands and has published articles in this area and in the field of science diplomacy. She has also worked in scientific publishing and as a senior science policy adviser for the Royal Society, where she worked on the Pfizer-Royal Society African Academies Programme.
Claire is a Fellow of the Royal Geographical Society and the Royal Society for the Encouragement of Arts, Manufactures and Commerce (RSA).