ISPOR Awards for Professor Ben van Hout and Dr Samer Kharroubi

Ben van Hout

We are pleased to announce that Professor Ben van Hout and Honorary Reader in ScHARR, Dr Samer Kharroubi have both been selected for prestigious awards by ISPOR.

Professor van Hout has received The ISPOR Avedis Donabedian Outcomes Research Lifetime Achievement Award which recognises an individual's outstanding, life-long achievement in the area of improving health outcomes. The ISPOR Avedis Donabedian Outcomes Research Lifetime Achievement Award is international in scope and stature. The award was established in honour of the late Avedis Donabedian, MD, MPH who has been called the "father of outcomes research."

Samer Kharroubi 

Dr Kharroubi has received the LMIC Health Economics and Outcomes Research Excellence Award. Dr Kharroubi said of the award: “I am honoured and humbled to have received the ISPOR Low and Middle-Income Countries Health Economics and Outcomes Research Excellence Award. I feel truly privileged being an Honorary Reader in ScHARR at the University of Sheffield. I am forever indebted to my colleagues and long-standing collaborators at ScHARR and CHEBS including Prof John Brazier, Prof Alan Brennan, Prof Mark Strong, Prof Tony O’Hagan, Prof Jeremy Oakley, Prof Chris McCabe, Dr Donna Rowen and many others. Their earnest support and continuous encouragement have been and will always be a significant factor in my development. Without their continual support, none of this would have happened. For this, I am extremely grateful and more success stories to come!”

The ISPOR LMIC (Low- and Middle-Income Countries) Health Economics and Outcomes Research Excellence Award recognises individuals with demonstrated outstanding research achievements in the area of health economics and outcomes research in LMICs (as defined by the World Bank).

Both will be recognised for their awards during the Virtual ISPOR Awards Ceremony on Tuesday, December 7^th at 10-11am EST.

Professor Ben van Hout https://www.sheffield.ac.uk/scharr/people/staff/ben-van-hout

Dr Samer Kharroubi - https://www.sheffield.ac.uk/scharr/people/staff/samer-kharroubi

ISPOR https://www.ispor.org/

Dr Marrissa Martyn-St James wins Best Oral Presentation Award at HTAi 2019

Congratulations to our own Dr Marrissa Martyn-St James who won the Best Oral Presentation Award at HTAi 2019 with her talk on Developing a Decision Tool for Selecting Approaches for Rapid Reviews. The details of the talk are below and you can contact Marrissa at m.martyn-stjames@sheffield.ac.uk

Authors: Abdullah Pandor, Eva Kaltenthaler, Marrissa Martyn-St James (presenter), Ruth Wong, Katy Cooper, Munya Dimairo, Alicia O’Cathain, Fiona Campbell, Andrew Booth

HTAi 2019 Best Oral Presentation

Abstract summary:

A modified online Delphi survey was conducted to reach consensus on items in the STARR (SelecTing Approaches for Rapid Reviews) decision tool for adapting review processes. Following pilot testing of the tool, a panel of 30 experts was recruited. Delphi consensus of ≥70% agreement of 20 items in the final STARR decision tool was reached at Round 2.

Introduction:

Dr Marrissa Martyn-St-James

Rapid reviews are of increasing importance within evidence synthesis and health technology assessment (HTA) due to the need for timely evidence to underpin the assessment of new technologies. Financial constraints have also contributed to the increase in rapid reviews. There are many rapid review methods available. However, there is little definitive guidance as to which methods are most appropriate. We developed the STARR (SelecTing Approaches for Rapid Reviews), decision tool for adapting review processes through a modified Delphi approach. The STARR tool was initially developed around our work in rapid reviews.

Method:

A modified online Delphi survey was conducted in May 2018. The STARR tool covers four themes: interaction with commissioners/policy-makers, scoping and searching the evidence base, data extraction and synthesis methods, and reporting of rapid review methods. The Delphi included 8 questions on theme headers and descriptors plus 11 questions on items in the tool. Following independent pilot testing, a panel of 30 experts who had published rapid reviews or been involved in development of their methods were invited to complete an online questionnaire through an iterative process including suggestions for changes. Importance of each item was rated on a scale of 1 (not important) to 9 (critically important). Consensus was ≥70% agreement across each item rated ≥7. All responses were collected in Delphi Manager® software.

Results:

Consensus was reached at Round 1 (30 respondents). However, following Round 1, one additional item on quality assessment that was suggested was added, and suggestions to improve clarity and understanding of the decision tool were made. Final consensus of 20 STARR items was reached after Round 2 (24 respondents).

Conclusions:

Delphi consensus of the final STARR decision tool was reached after two rounds. Roll-out of the STARR decision tool is now planned to assist in helping plan rapid reviews.

University of Sheffield ranked within top 100 universities in QS World University Rankings

• The University of Sheffield has been ranked 13th best university in the UK, 78th in the world and top in Yorkshire and the Humber

• The global ranking is the world’s most-consulted, independent university evaluation

The University of Sheffield has been ranked within the top 100 universities in the world in the QS World University Rankings 2020, reaffirming its position as a leading global university for teaching and research.

The results rank the University 13th best in the UK, 78th in the world and top in Yorkshire and Humber.

The global ranking is the world’s most-consulted independent university evaluation and provides a definitive guide to the world’s 1,001 top universities.

The expert opinions of 94,672 academics and 44,884 employers contributed to this year’s rankings. Over thirteen million research papers and 93 million citations were analysed to measure the impact of the research produced by the universities ranked.

Using these measures, the QS Rankings 2020 placed the University of Sheffield 10th in the UK for research impact. The University’s research strives to change lives and influence policy by addressing some of the world's most pressing challenges, from developing new treatments for life-threatening diseases to solving the problem of feeding a world of 10 billion and driving low-carbon technology.

The QS World University Rankings 2020, which are in their 16th year, also measure academic standards, employability records, research quality, teaching capacity and internationalisation.

The University’s highest scores came in the two internationalisation indicators: 94.1/100 for international student ratio and 87.9/100 for international faculty ratio, demonstrating the University’s diverse community.

Our University has been committed to research and teaching which improves lives, solves global problems and leads the way in influencing policy and I’m grateful to all those whose hard work has made this possible.

PROFESSOR KOEN LAMBERTS, PRESIDENT AND VICE-CHANCELLOR OF THE UNIVERSITY OF SHEFFIELD 

The University of Sheffield has already received significant recognition for providing outstanding support for international students. It has shown its longstanding commitment through its award-winning global #WeAreInternational campaign, which highlights the crucial value of international students to the UK and is backed by more than 150 universities and international organisations.

President and Vice-Chancellor of the University of Sheffield, Professor Koen Lamberts, said: “We’re delighted that the University of Sheffield has received recognition for being a world-leading university.

"Our University has been committed to research and teaching which improves lives, solves global problems and leads the way in influencing policy and I’m grateful to all those whose hard work has made this possible.

"I’m also really proud that our diverse community, which includes over 140 nationalities represented here on campus, has been recognised in the rankings. Our international students and staff play a crucial role in expanding the University's vibrant and dynamic cultural environment, and they make a huge contribution to academic life, knowledge and our economic growth as a nation. We’re committed to ensuring our city continues to make staff and students from around the world feel welcome."

Earlier this year, the University of Sheffield celebrated success in the QS World University Rankings by Subject, in which 17 subjects were ranked in the top 100 in the world. The University of Sheffield’s Students’ Union also recently accepted the Whatuni Student Choice Award for Best Students’ Union, rooting the organisation firmly in the top spot.

Additional information

The University of Sheffield
With almost 29,000 of the brightest students from over 140 countries, learning alongside over 1,200 of the best academics from across the globe, the University of Sheffield is one of the world’s leading universities.

A member of the UK’s prestigious Russell Group of leading research-led institutions, Sheffield offers world-class teaching and research excellence across a wide range of disciplines.

Unified by the power of discovery and understanding, staff and students at the university are committed to finding new ways to transform the world we live in.

Sheffield is the only university to feature in The Sunday Times 100 Best Not-For-Profit Organisations to Work For 2018 and for the last eight years has been ranked in the top five UK universities for Student Satisfaction by Times Higher Education.

Sheffield has six Nobel Prize winners among former staff and students and its alumni go on to hold positions of great responsibility and influence all over the world, making significant contributions in their chosen fields.

Global research partners and clients include Boeing, Rolls-Royce, Unilever, AstraZeneca, Glaxo SmithKline, Siemens and Airbus, as well as many UK and overseas government agencies and charitable foundations.

Contact

For further information please contact:

Shemina Davis
Media Relations Manager
The University of Sheffield
0114 222 5339
shemina.davis@sheffield.ac.uk

Professor Aki Tsuchiya wins Best Postgraduate Supervisor at the University of Sheffield Student Union Awards

Professor Aki Tsuchiya

Congratulations to Aki Tsuchiya, Professor of Health Economics for winning Best Postgraduate Supervisor at the University of Sheffield Student Union Academic Awards. Aki said: "I am delighted to be awarded the Student Union Best Postgraduate Supervisor Award for 2019."

The annual Academic Awards, run in partnership between the Students' Union and University, celebrates those who have enhanced education and community life at the University of Sheffield. It is a chance for students and university staff to reflect on the amazing work done by individuals, departments and the institution as a whole. The awards are open to staff and students to nominate anyone who in their own way has improved your educational experience at Sheffield this year.

https://su.sheffield.ac.uk/make-a-change/the-annual-academic-awards  

Aki came to the UK in 1998 as a Visiting Research Fellow at the Centre for Health Economics, University of York, funded as an Overseas Post-Doctoral Research Fellow of the Japan Society for the Promotion of Science. From there Aki came to Sheffield and joined ScHARR in 2000, where she worked as a Research Associate, a Research Fellow, and a Lecturer. Since 2005 Aki has held a joint appointment between ScHARR and the Department of Economics, as a Senior Lecturer, a Reader, and a Professor. Currently, Aki is the co-Director of the Centre for Well-being in Public Policy at the University, and a member of the EuroQol Group.

Aki's teaching interests include health economics for economists, valuation of health states, normative health economics. Her research is focused around measuring, valuing, and modelling health, and other aspects of well-being; incorporating equity concerns into social welfare functions; normative economics of health and beyond.

The University of Sheffield ranked one of the best universities for teaching in Europe

The University of Sheffield was named 11th out of 250 institutions across eight European countries in the new rankings, underlying the university's reputation for outstanding teaching.

The new rankings from The Times Higher Education are the first international ranking to measure the quality of teaching across the world. The rankings, which places the University of Sheffield joint ninth in the UK, draw on data from the European Student Survey. The survey examines a range of key issues including students’ engagement with their studies, their interaction with teachers, the quality of services at the institution and their opportunities to develop skills which help prepare them for a career after university.

The results were warmly welcomed by Vice-President for Education, Professor Wyn Morgan and President and Vice-Chancellor, Professor Sir Keith Burnett, who said:

"I am genuinely delighted to see the commitment of extraordinary teachers and colleagues at Sheffield acknowledged in this significant international review of teaching quality in universities. This wonderful result reflects not only dedicated teaching but the way staff work with students to challenge and inspire, listening to their concerns and seeking new ways to connect what they are learning to the challenges they will face after graduation.

Students at Sheffield

"Good teaching is not a product. It takes great effort on the part of teacher and student, the latest learning resources, technologies, facilities and sometimes intensive support. The results though are felt throughout the lives of our students and I am never more proud than when graduates around the world speak with pride and affection about those who taught them, challenged them and gave them the tools they took into their careers."

According to The Times Higher Education, the new Teaching Ranking assesses the student teaching and learning environment and student outcomes, and was designed to answer the questions that matter most to students and their families when making one of the most important decisions of their lives – who to trust with their education.

Phil Baty, Editorial Director of global rankings at Times Higher Education, added: “While teaching is perhaps the single most important mission of any university, no other international ranking focuses entirely on teaching and learning, placing student needs at its very heart. This initiative is an important world first, offering a much-needed fresh perspective on excellence in higher education. The University of Sheffield does particularly well in our ‘outcomes’ score, for successful student progress - but it also does very well in our student engagement survey, demonstrating that its students feel stretched, challenged and stimulated by their courses.”

The ranking includes universities in countries that are a full member of both the European Higher Education Area and the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development, and are classified as a “developed economy” by the United Nations. Building on the success of the THE US Student Survey, which has been running for three years, the inaugural European Student survey captured detailed responses from 30,000 students in more than 10 European countries. The survey also covers a wide range of core questions, focused not on student satisfaction, but on their engagement with learning, and how much they are stretched and challenged in the classroom.

The full results were announced at the Times Higher Education Teaching Excellence Summit.

In June, The University of Sheffield was ranked as one of the best universities in the world in the QS World University Rankings 2019, strengthening its position as a leading global university for teaching and research. The results placed the University as the 13th best institution in the UK and 75th in the world, a rise from last year’s placing of 82nd. These results position it as the number one University in Yorkshire and Humber and among the top 7.5 per cent of all the universities in the QS World University Rankings.

The University of Sheffield also recently celebrated success in The Guardian University Guide 2019 after subjects from across the institution were ranked among the UK’s best for courses. Earlier in the year, the University of Sheffield Students' Union was voted top nationally for the tenth consecutive year by the Times Higher Education Student Experience Survey 2018.

Professor Eva Kaltenthaler receives ScHARR's Athena SWAN Award

Earlier this month HEDS Professor Eva Kaltenthaler attended the Athena SWAN Awards to accept ScHARR's second Silver Award. The event was hosted at the University of Glasgow.

Professor Kaltenthaler said: “This is a great achievement and underpins ScHARR's commitment to equality and diversity.”

Professor Eva Kaltenthaler receives ScHARR's Athena SWAN Award

The Athena SWAN Charter was established in 2005 to encourage and recognise commitment to advancing the careers of women in science, technology, engineering, maths and medicine (STEMM) employment in higher education and research.
In May 2015 the charter was expanded to recognise work undertaken in arts, humanities, social sciences, business and law (AHSSBL), and in professional and support roles, and for trans staff and students. The charter now recognises work undertaken to address gender equality more broadly, and not just barriers to progression that affect women. 

More information on the Athena SWAN Award can be seen here 

Professor Allan Wailoo awarded ISPOR Distinguished Service Award

Prof Allan Wailoo with his award

Huge congratulations to Professor Allan Wailoo who has received the ISPOR Distinguished Service Award at this year's ISPOR Annual European Congress. The ISPOR Distinguished Service Awards recognise those members who have lead an important ISPOR activity.