Fully-funded Wellcome PhD Studentship - Starting September 2022

We are currently advertising one fully-funded studentship to join our Wellcome Doctoral Training Centre in Public Health Economics and Decision Science in September 2022.  

This is a rapid recruitment process and is separate to our annual recruitment round (which will run later in the year as normal).  It is only open to UK or Irish applicants who are eligible for home tuition fees.  

The Wellcome DTC it is an exciting cohort-based four-year programme that provides students with a unique experience including masters modules, research attachments, and opportunities to question senior scientists and public health leaders.  It provides a fully-funded four-year studentship including:

• Tuitions fees
• A tax-free living costs stipend at the generous Wellcome rates
• An extremely generous research training and support grant of £53,500
• Transition funding to support the student's next steps post-PhD of at least £36,160

For more information about the programme, please see our website and the FindAPhD advert.  The deadline for applications is midnight on Friday 29th July.  Interviews will take place on 8th and 9th August. 

University of Sheffield Studentship

 Aggregating multi-domain wellbeing across individuals

Funded PhD supervised by Professor Aki Tsuchiya and Professor Robin Purshouse

Public policies need to be evaluated across multiple domains (or dimensions) of wellbeing. In engineering, this is known as a multi-objective optimisation problem. In welfare economics, there are different approaches for aggregating multi-domain wellbeing across individuals.  Of interest here is whether or not the aggregation should be linear additive.  This PhD will look at the role of aversion to inequalities across individuals in terms of overall wellbeing and/or domain specific wellbeing, and their effects on aggregation.  The project will involve a literature review, the analysis of secondary data, collection of stated preference primary data, and a case study using multi-criteria decision-analysis.

Link to more details and how to apply:

Aggregating multi-domain wellbeing across individuals at University of Sheffield on FindAPhD.com

 

 

Funded PhD: Systems Level Modelling in Older People/Urgent and Emergency Care with the Health Economics, evaluation and equality theme (HEEE) of the ARC YH

 

Funded PhD: Systems Level Modelling in Older People/Urgent and Emergency Care with the Health Economics, evaluation and equality theme (HEEE) of the ARC YH

The School of Health Related Research, at the University of Sheffield is pleased to advertise a funded PhD opportunity.  The studentship is part of a research programme for the NIHR Applied Research Collaborations (NIHR ARCs). The studentship would be within the Health Economics, Evaluation and Equality (HEEE) cross-cutting theme of the Yorkshire and Humber ARC and will focus on one of the core themes outlined below. 

The Yorkshire & Humber NIHR ARC is a collaboration between NHS, social care, third sector and industry organisations and leading universities in Yorkshire and the Humber. It aims to transform services and improve peoples’ health and wellbeing and reduce health inequalities through four strategically important core themes:

·       Early life and Prevention

·       Older people with Frailty

·       Mental and Physical Multimorbidity

·       Urgent and Emergency Care

The HEEE theme aims to work collaboratively with the four core themes and in partnership with local NHS, public health and social care collaborators. This research will focus on improving efficiency and equity in the use of public resources using methods for conducting cross-sector evaluations including mathematical modelling, statistical and econometric methods. The HEEE theme are offering a PhD opportunity and strongly encourage candidates to propose topics in the following areas:

 Older Peoples Theme

Develop a system level approach to model the economic arguments of implementing interventions to prevent/improve frailty and delayed transfers of care (DTOC) for older people with complex and heterogeneous needs. The theme will look to simulate the reality of supply side availability and constraints as well as using conventional economic theory to understand the economic incentives and outcomes for patients and stakeholders such as the NHS and Social Services.  

 Urgent and Emergency Care Theme

Develop a systems modelling approach to identify and evaluate options for preventing excessive Emergency Departments waiting times. We are particularly interested in developing simulation approaches to examine system level interventions to reduce ED attendances and manage flows through a Department. For example, work may focus on the analysis of options to avoid unnecessary attendances or to avoid delays in transferring patients out of hospital, the design of performance metrics that avoid perverse incentives, or combinations of interventions. The successful applicant will have access to a large routine data set of the ED including arrivals, investigations and treatments in hospitals within the region to help inform the model.

 Entry Requirements:

Candidates must:

·       be highly motivated to make a significant scientific contribution in health and social care through research that can inform well-evidenced, cost-effective health strategies

·       have completed an undergraduate degree (equivalent to 2.1 or above) in a relevant discipline (e.g. mathematics, statistics, epidemiology, economics, operational research, systems engineering, management science, physics, systems control).

·       have completed a master’s degree at merit or distinction (or a non-UK equivalent) in a relevant subject, or more than one year of formal employment in a relevant scientific environment

·       have excellent verbal and written communication skills

Further details:

https://www.jobs.ac.uk/job/CKB287/phd-studentship-systems-level-modelling-in-older-people-urgent-and-emergency-care-with-the-health-economics-evaluation-and-equality-theme-heee-of-the-arc-yh

 How to apply:

Please complete a University Postgraduate Research Application form available here:  

https://www.sheffield.ac.uk/postgraduate/phd/apply

 Please clearly state the title of the studentship, the prospective main supervisor (Tracey Young) and select ScHARR as the department.

You will also need to include:

·       a draft outline of your proposed PhD study, in line with the research themes described above, of approximately 500 words

·       a covering letter explaining why you wish to apply for this studentship.

·       a copy of your CV.

Funding Notes

The award will cover academic fees at the UK rate plus a maintenance stipend for 3 years (£15,009 in 2020/21)

Funded PhD: Systems level modelling in older people/urgent and emergency care with the Health Economics, evaluation and equality theme (HEEE) of the ARC YH

The School of Health related Research, at the University of Sheffield is pleased to advertise a funded PhD opportunity.  The studentship is part of a research programme for the NIHR Applied Research Collaborations (NIHR ARCs). The studentship would be within the Health Economics, Evaluation and Equality (HEEE) cross-cutting theme of the Yorkshire and Humber ARC and will focus on one of the core themes outlined below. 

The Yorkshire & Humber NIHR ARC is a collaboration between NHS, social care, third sector and industry organisations and leading universities in Yorkshire and the Humber. It aims to transform services and improve peoples’ health and wellbeing and reduce health inequalities through four strategically important core themes:

·       Early life and Prevention

·       Older people with Frailty

·       Mental and Physical Multimorbidity

·       Urgent and Emergency Care

The HEEE theme aims to work collaboratively with the four core themes and in partnership with local NHS, public health and social care collaborators. This research will focus on improving efficiency and equity in the use of public resources using methods for conducting cross-sector evaluations including mathematical modelling, statistical and econometric methods. The HEEE theme are offering a PhD opportunity and strongly encourage candidates to propose topics in the following areas:

Older Peoples Theme

Develop a system level approach to model the economic arguments of implementing interventions to prevent/improve frailty and delayed transfers of care (DTOC) for older people with complex and heterogeneous needs. The theme will look to simulate the reality of supply side availability and constraints as well as using conventional economic theory to understand the economic incentives and outcomes for patients and stakeholders such as the NHS and Social Services.  

Urgent and Emergency Care Theme

Develop a systems modelling approach to identify and evaluate options for preventing excessive Emergency Departments waiting times. We are particularly interested in developing simulation approaches to examine system level interventions to reduce ED attendances and manage flows through a Department. For example, work may focus on the analysis of options to avoid unnecessary attendances or to avoid delays in transferring patients out of hospital, the design of performance metrics that avoid perverse incentives, or combinations of interventions. The successful applicant will have access to a large routine data set of the ED including arrivals, investigations and treatments in hospitals within the region to help inform the model.

Regent Court, The University of Sheffield

Entry Requirements:

Candidates must:

·       be highly motivated to make a significant scientific contribution in health and social care through research that can inform well-evidenced, cost-effective health strategies

·       have completed an undergraduate degree (equivalent to 2.1 or above) in a relevant discipline (e.g. mathematics, statistics, epidemiology, economics, operational research, systems engineering, management science, physics, systems control).

·       have completed a master’s degree at merit or distinction (or a non-UK equivalent) in a relevant subject, or more than one year of formal employment in a relevant scientific environment

·       have excellent verbal and written communication skills

·       meet English language requirements (international applicants).

Further details:

https://www.findaphd.com/phds/project/systems-level-modelling-in-older-people-urgent-and-emergency-care-with-the-health-economics-evaluation-and-equality-theme-heee-of-the-arc-yh/?p134121

How to apply:

Please complete a University Postgraduate Research Application form available here: www.shef.ac.uk/postgraduate/research/apply

Please clearly state the title of the studentship, the prospective main supervisor and select ScHARR as the department.

You will also need to include:

·       a draft outline of your proposed PhD study, in line with the research themes described above, of approximately 500 words

·       a covering letter explaining why you wish to apply for this studentship.

·       a copy of your CV.

Funding Notes

The award will cover academic fees at the UK rate plus a maintenance stipend for 3 years (£15,009 in 2020/21).

Seven fully funded PhD scholarships available in the Wellcome Doctoral Training Centre for Public Health Economics and Decision Science (PHEDS)

Seven fully funded PhD scholarships available in the Wellcome Doctoral Training Centre for Public Health Economics and Decision Science (PHEDS)

pheds-dtc.ac.uk/

We are seeking bright and enthusiastic graduates from disciplines including health sciences, epidemiology, psychology, sociology, politics, mathematics, statistics, economics, systems engineering, business studies and geography who want to make a difference to population health.

https://pheds-dtc.ac.uk/

Join the research effort to reduce the burden of chronic disease

Chronic disease accounts for over 70% of deaths globally. Many of these are premature and can be prevented by coordinated and well-targeted public health policies and interventions. However, to achieve this goal, we need better understanding of the complex interplay of influences on health at the societal, environmental and individual levels.

Public Health Economics and Decision Science seeks to identify the prevention strategies that are most effective and cost-effective, and should therefore be prioritised by decision-makers. This four-year programme will give graduates the necessary public health and advanced quantitative skills for rewarding careers in academia, practice or policy, where they can contribute to reducing the burden of disease in the UK and internationally.

About scholarships

Our Wellcome Doctoral Training Centre will provide funding for 35 studentships in total, between 2019 and 2024. We are now commencing recruitment of a new cohort of seven students to join the programme in autumn 2021.

The programme

Generously funded by Wellcome and the University of Sheffield, this four-year cohort-based PhD Programme provides a unique interdisciplinary experience to develop quantitative, analytical and transferable skills that are highly valuable for careers within academia and beyond.

It offers doctoral-level research training in public health, economics, statistics and mathematical modelling. From year one, you will have access to senior scientists and public health decision-makers and take a range of taught modules to complement your existing skills. Health and social sciences graduates will develop advanced quantitative analytical skills and those with quantitative analytical degrees will receive training in public health. Rotations through several “research attachments” will allow you to experience research in multiple areas before finalising the topic of the PhD project you will complete during years two to four. You will work collaboratively, arrange internships and develop networks with external organisations and decision-makers. This helps to ensure your PhD has real-world impact, which you can support further by applying to a postdoctoral transition fund that is exclusive to students on this programme.

Funding

Seven studentships are available. We are keen to attract the best talent from all walks of life and will award at least one studentship to a UK applicant from a widening participation background. Two studentships can cover overseas fees for applicants from OECD ODA recipient countries. Part-time study can be discussed where students have health or social needs that would make full-time study difficult.

Each studentship provides:

• home or international rate tuition fees for four years
• an annual stipend at Wellcome Trust rates (£19,919-£23,997)
• a generous training, research cost and travel fund
• an opportunity to apply for postdoctoral transition funding

Eligibility

You will…

• be highly motivated to make a significant scientific contribution to tackling the burden of chronic disease through well-evidenced, cost-effective public health strategies
• be an academic high achiever
• be able to demonstrate your enthusiasm to work collaboratively in an interdisciplinary environment
• have completed an undergraduate degree (equivalent to 2.1 or above) in a relevant discipline
• have a relevant Masters degree or experience working in a health, policy, operational research/decision modelling, or economics environment. Current Masters students without relevant work experience will only be considered if they have an outstanding academic track record, including a first-class undergraduate degree.
• have quantitative maths skills equivalent to A at A-Level (may also be evidenced through university modules or work)
• meet English language requirements (international applicants).

Closing date for Autumn 2021 entry – Midnight, Monday 14th December 2020.

Interviews will take place in February 2021.

More information & how to apply

Visit our website or contact us at wellcomephds@sheffield.ac.uk.

PhD Opportunity at ScHARR - Valuing well-being alongside health: What can and should be done?

Health preferences inform resource allocation decisions around which treatments are recommended for use on the basis of their relative cost-effectiveness. Typically generic preference-based measures of health that can be applied across all conditions are used to generate quality adjusted life years (QALYs) to inform cost-effectiveness analyses. The QALY combines both quantity and quality of life by assigning a value to quality of life on a 0 (for states as bad as being dead) to 1 (for full health) scale where values below 0 indicate that the state is worse than being dead. A generic preference-based measure of health consists of: 1) a classification system that is used to describe the health of a person and 2) a value set that generates a utility value that reflects how good or bad people think living in the health state would be. 

Recent research has focused on widening the classification system used to measure health to capture aspects beyond health to focus on dimensions such as quality of life. This presents challenges for the methods used to elicit utility values as well as around the scope of the QALY itself and its role in informing cost-effectiveness analyses. This PhD will contribute to methodological developments and understanding in the area of eliciting preferences for states that combine both health and wellbeing and that may contain a large number of both overlapping and independent dimensions. The feasibility and appropriateness of different preference elicitation methods for use to value a widened classification system have not been fully explored. 

 

ScHARR - Regent Court

The PhD will involve a literature review and primary research using a mixed methods approach involving both qualitative and quantitative research. In particular, the PhD will explore how discrete choice experiments (DCE) can be designed and undertaken to meet the challenges raised through a widened classification system including overlapping concepts and a large number of dimensions (potentially beyond the number that can be considered all at the same by a research participant). This will include both quantitative aspects of design alongside qualitative exploration of how participants undertake the DCE tasks, what influences their choices, and whether they understand the tasks. Towards the end of the project an online survey will be used to determine the feasibility of the use of DCE using a design building upon the findings from the qualitative research. In year 2 the student will visit Professor Deborah Street and Dr Richard Norman in Australia to collaborate around potential options for the DCE design and analysis. Deborah Street and Richard Norman will be advisers on the PhD project. 

Aim of the research: 
The PhD project will develop and assess discrete choice experiment (DCE) methods to value a large classification system that combines both health and wellbeing. The project will: 
a) explore how discrete choice experiments (DCE) can be designed, framed, undertaken and analysed to meet the challenges raised through both a widened classification system including overlapping concepts of health and wellbeing and a large number of dimensions (potentially beyond the number that can be considered all at the same by a participant); 
b) explore the anchoring of the DCE results onto the full health-dead 1-0 scale required to be able to generate quality adjusted life years; 
c) assess (using qualitative research) whether participants are able to meaningfully complete and understand the proposed DCE tasks and that their responses are not influenced by the design; 
d) undertake an online survey to determine the feasibility of the use of DCE in this context drawing on the qualitative work. 

Entry Requirements: 
Candidates must have a first or upper second class honors degree, and a Merit at masters or significant research experience in relevant subjects, for example economics, health economics or psychology. 

How to apply: 
Please complete a University Postgraduate Research Application form available here: http://www.shef.ac.uk/postgraduate/research/apply 

Please clearly state the title of the studentship and the names of the supervisors, and select ScHARR as the department. 

You will also need to include: 
• a draft outline of your proposed PhD study, in line with the research described above, of approximately 500 words 
• a covering letter explaining why you wish to apply for this studentship. 
• a copy of your CV. 

Funding Notes

Funding includes home/EU tuition fees paid for 3.5 years, with an annual stipend of £15,285 (UKRI rate) payable for 3.5 years (stipend paid at 50% for final year). There is also a Research Support and Training Grant to support research costs. 

 Apply here

https://www.findaphd.com/phds/project/valuing-well-being-alongside-health-what-can-and-should-be-done/?p122087

New special interest group - Equity-informative Economic Evaluation as part of iHEA

Naomi Gibbs

Wellcome Trust PhD student Naomi Gibbs is one of five co-convenors who have set up a new special interest group called "Equity-informative Economic Evaluation", as part of the international Health Economics Association (iHEA).

The new group is featured in the latest iHEA Newsletter which you can read here https://www.healtheconomics.org/news/475931/iHEA-Newsletter-October-2019.htm  

This is the link to the special interest group's web page.

https://www.healtheconomics.org/page/EEE  

Naomi said about the group: "In order to learn from the experts in the field I wanted to be part of an international group of health economists interested in incorporating equity into economic evaluation. After approaching Professor Richard Cookson the idea grew and we are now a group of five convenors drawn from South Africa, Geneva, the UK and USA. We hope the group will attract members from all across the globe and will be at the centre of empirical and methodological developments in the field. From a personal perspective it has already been great for developing my networks and expanding my knowledge of the research being undertaken which I can then directly apply to my work."

Naomi is working to produce a health economic model of alcohol pricing policies in South Africa with the aim of highlighting the differential impact policies may have on population subgroups as part of her work. Naomi said: "This feels particularly pertinent to South Africa but is applicable to all contexts where decision makers care about inequalities as well as health maximisation." 

7 scholarships on our Doctoral Training Programme in Public Health, Health Economics & Decision Science funded by the Wellcome Trust

https://wellcome.ac.uk/

Applications are now open for 7 scholarships on our Doctoral Training Programme in Public Health, Health Economics & Decision Science funded by the Wellcome Trust 

https://pheds-dtc.ac.uk/  

• The scheme is open to UK applicants and applicants from lower- and middle income countries on the OECD's ODA list. The scholarship covers home or international tuition fees, stipend and research costs. 
• Applicants need a 2.1 or above (or international equivalent), and either a masters degree or equivalent research experience. 
• One scholarship is earmarked for a UK applicant meeting a widening participation criteria. 
• Current applicants come from many disciplinary backgrounds including mathematics, statistics, economics, public health, psychology, sociology, social policy, health economics, international development, engineering, business studies, politics, medicine, physics, human geography

Closing date 1 January 2020, programme starts autumn 2020

£5 million funding for a new PhD programme in public health economics at the University of Sheffield to address the world's most critical public health issues

New generation of PhD researchers to tackle the world's biggest public health issues

£5 million funding for a new PhD programme in public health economics at the University of Sheffield to address the world's most critical public health issues

A new generation of 35 students will conduct research that will inform public health policy and decision making at a global level

The programme will widen access to those who might not otherwise have the opportunity to study at postgraduate level



A £5.24 million investment by the Wellcome Trust will fund 35 scholars from the UK and overseas to carry out ground-breaking public health research at the University of Sheffield.

The Doctoral Training Centre at the University of Sheffield will provide the opportunity for the brightest graduates from a wide variety of disciplines to specialise in public health economics research. It will also provide opportunities for those who may have not felt able to further their academic career in public health before.

The new programme - led by the School of Health and Related Research (ScHARR) - will focus on how health policies, strategies and systems can best be coordinated and prioritised. Students will research which sets of policies and interventions can best tackle the key causes of ill health and health inequalities, for example health-risk behaviours and the so-called social determinants of ill health, which include a lack of education, financial stability, employment or secure housing.

Petra Meier, Professor of Public Health and Director of the Doctoral Training Centre at ScHARR, said: “Worldwide, chronic diseases such as heart disease, diabetes and cancer now account for around 70 per cent of premature deaths. Our doctoral researchers will work to identify the most cost-effective public health policies and interventions to reduce these types of ill health and how different interventions can be coordinated to maximise impact.

“As chronic diseases are rapidly overtaking infectious diseases as the key causes of disability and death in most parts of the world and as a global priority, we need to know which prevention strategies work best. So it is vital that we train a new generation of researchers who will be at the forefront of promoting public health.”

The funding award from the Wellcome Trust recognises ScHARR as a provider of excellence when it comes to public health and economics research; with a programme built on high-quality research training. The programme is designed to give students the opportunity to develop their own ideas and engage with real-life decision makers, supported by academics from across university faculties and disciplines.

Professor Meier added: “With this new PhD programme we will be recruiting the brightest candidates, whatever their circumstances, opening up a route to postgraduate research training for those who may have felt unable to further their academic career this far before.

“We strongly encourage those who have grown up in areas where few people study for PhDs, or who have circumstances that could be barriers to doctoral research, such as have caring responsibilities or a disability, to look out for our pre-application question and answer sessions. Scholarships cover tuition fees, research costs and a monthly stipend, there is the possibility of part-time study and students on the programme will find a supportive research environment.”

The new PhD programme will start in autumn 2020 and information will be available on the ScHARR website from mid-October 2019.

Meet our PGRs - Susan Hampshaw What happens to NICE public health guidelines after publication in terms of how they are viewed and used by local government officers? – A realist inquiry

Susan Hampshaw

My name is Susan Hampshaw and I am in the final year of my  PhD in HEDS.  I am also part of the Public Health section within ScHARR. I have been studying part time (over 5 years) and am employed by Doncaster Council as Public Health Principal.  I lead work in Doncaster to tackle health inequalities and building capacity to better use research in policy and practice. I have a long standing interest in how to bridge the gap between research and practice which is how I came to my PhD study.

The topic of my PhD is exploring the decision making context of local government and in particular how NICE public health guidelines are used or not. My study is a realist inquiry (undertaken by an embedded researcher); and identified, tested and refined theories to explain how NICE guidance was received following its release, and why this reception occurs.  The focus of realist inquiry is explanation. Three hypotheses were targeted; two on the nature of decision-making and one on the uniqueness of individual authorities. These hypotheses were tested by methodically reviewing the literature using theory-guided searches, data extraction and synthesis, and by primary data collection during fieldwork in 3 councils.

   

I have been fortunate to have truly brilliant PhD supervisors who recognise my experience (and the tacit knowledge therein) and also recognise the ebbs and flows of my commitments and so have been tolerant yet still ensured that I have made progress.

Title of PhD: What happens to NICE public health guidelines after publication in terms of how they are viewed and used by local government officers? – A realist inquiry

My research interests include: health equity; decision making; knowledge mobilsation

 Key publications

●      Harris, S. J., Papathanassoglou, E. D. E., Hampshaw, S. M., Gee, M., Lindgren, L., & Haywood, A. (2018). Interpersonal touch interventions for patients in intensive care: A design‐oriented realist review. Nursing Open, 1-20. doi:10.1002/nop2.200

●      Hampshaw, S., Cooke, J., & Mott, L. (2018). What is a research derived actionable tool, and what factors should be considered in their development? A Delphi study. BMC Health Services Research, 18. doi:10.1186/s12913-018-3551-6

●      Grove, A., Sanders, T., Salway, S., Goyder, E., & Hampshaw, S. (2018). A qualitative exploration of evidence-based decision-making in public health practice and policy: the perceived usefulness of a diabetes economic model for decision-makers. Evidence & Policy. doi:10.1332/174426418X15245020185055

●      Sanders, T., Grove, A., Salway, S., Hampshaw, S., & Goyder, E. (2017). Incorporation of a health economic modelling tool into public health commissioning: Evidence use in a politicised context. Social Science & Medicine, 186, 122-129. doi:10.1016/j.socscimed.2017.06.011

●      Cooke, J., Langley, J., Wolstenholme, D., & Hampshaw, S. (2018). "Seeing" the Difference: The Importance of Visibility and Action as a Mark of "Authenticity" in Co-production Comment on "Collaboration and Co-production of Knowledge in Healthcare: Opportunities and Challenges". International Journal of Health Policy and Management, 6(6), 345-348. doi:10.15171/ijhpm.2016.136

Supervisors

●      Lead Supervisor: Andrew Booth

●      Second Supervisor: Annette Haywood

●      Third supervisor: Jo Cooke

@Hampshaw

Meet our PGRs - Johanna Lister - The identification of evidence for key parameters for economic models of health technologies

Johanna Lister

My name is Johanna Lister and I am in the first year of my PhD in HEDS. Before embarking on my PhD, I have worked as a Health Analyst in various organisations. These range from public sector organisations, such as the Department of Health in London, to private sector companies, like my current employer Certara. I am doing my PhD as a distance student from South Germany on a part-time basis, making it even more of a challenge than it already is!

The topic of my PhD is the identification of evidence for key parameters for economic models of health technologies. Over the last 10 years I have been leading complex engagements with pharmaceutical companies that include evidence generation for Health Technology Assessments (HTAs) around the world, with specific focus on health economic models. I have noticed that it is difficult to distribute research efforts so that all HTA requirements are met for several HTA agencies and for several purposes (systematic literature review, indirect treatment comparison, economic model, etc.) with a finite time and budget. I applied to study at Sheffield specifically because I found the most interesting research on the topic to be conducted there. Studying remotely is challenging, but the quality of supervision and the faculty more than makes up for it!

Title of PhD: Identification of evidence for key parameters for decision analytic models to evaluate cost-effectiveness of health care technologies

My research interests include:

· Methods used in the pharmaceutical manufacturers submissions within Health Technology Assessment agencies appraisal processes.

· Retrieval of evidence for decision analytic models of cost-effectiveness

Key publications

• Amzal B, Fu S, Meng J, Lister J, Karcher H (2017) Cabozantinib versus everolimus, nivolumab, axitinib, sorafenib and best supportive care: A network meta-analysis of progression-free survival and overall survival in second line treatment of advanced renal cell carcinoma. PLOS ONE 12(9): e0184423.
• Freemantle N, Khalaf K, Loveman C, Stanisic S, Gultayaev D, Lister J, Drake M. OnabotulinumtoxinA in the treatment of overactive bladder: a cost-effectiveness analysis versus best supportive care in England and Wales. Eur J Health Econ (2016) 17: 911.
• Walzer S, Chouaid C, Lister J, Gultyaev D, Vergnenegre A, de Marinis F, Meng J, de Castro Carpeno J, Crott R, Kleman M & Ngoh C. Simulation and comparison of progression-free survival (PFS) among patients with non-squamous non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) recieving sequential therapy. Expert Rev. Anticancer Ther. Early online, 1–8 (2014).
• Lee E, Revil C, Ngoh C, Lister J, Kwon JM, Park MH, et al. Clinical and cost effectiveness of bevacizumab + FOLFIRI combination versus FOLFIRI alone as first-line treatment of metastatic colorectal cancer in South Korea. Clin Ther. 2012;34(6):1408-19.
• Lister J , Stanisic S, Kaier K, Hagist C, Gultyaev D, Walzer S. Societal savings in patients with advanced non-squamous non-small-cell lung cancer receiving bevacizumab-based versus non-bevacizumab-based treatments in France, Germany, Italy, and Spain. Clinicoecon Outcomes Res. 2012 2012;4.
• Ahn M, Tsai C, Hsia T, Wright E, Chang J, Kim H, Kim J, Kang J, Kim S, Bae E, Kang M, Lister J, Walzer S. Cost-effectiveness of bevacizumab-based therapy versus cisplatin plus pemetrexed for the first-line treatment of advanced non-squamous NSCLC in Korea and Taiwan. Asia Pac J Clin Oncol. 2011;7 Suppl 2:22-33.

Supervisors

• Lead Supervisor: Suzy Paisley
• Second Supervisor: Eva Kaltenthaler
• Third supervisor: Paul Tappenden

https://www.linkedin.com/in/johanna-lister-6364975/

HEDS PhD Opportunity - Valuing well-being alongside health: What can and should be done?

HEDS PhD Opportunity - Valuing well-being alongside health: What can and should be done?

Details

Health preferences inform resource allocation decisions around which treatments are recommended for use on the basis of their relative cost-effectiveness. Typically generic preference-based measures of health that can be used across all conditions are used to generate quality adjusted life years (QALYs) to inform cost-effectiveness analyses. The QALY combines both quantity and quality of life by assigning a value to quality of life on a 0 (for states as bad as being dead) to 1 (for full health) scale where values below 0 indicate that the state is worse than being dead. A generic preference-based measure of health consists of: 1) a classification system that is used to describe the health of a person and 2) a value set that generates a utility value that reflects how good or bad people think living in the health state would be. 

Recent research has focused on widening the classification system used to measure health to capture aspects beyond health to focus on domains such as quality of life. This presents challenges for the methods used to elicit utility values and the scope of the QALY itself and its role in informing cost-effectiveness analyses. Research challenges remain around the valuation of measures including: whose preferences to use (patients or general public); which elicitation technique to use; data collection mode; selection of states for valuation; how to aggregate and use these preferences to inform decisions around healthcare resource allocation. 

This PhD will contribute to methodological developments and understanding in the area of eliciting preferences for states that combine both health and wellbeing. The PhD will involve a literature review and primary research using a mixed methods approach involving both qualitative and quantitative research. The student will initially conduct a literature review of valuation methodology to inform the primary data collection. Qualitative work involving interviewers and/or focus groups will be undertaken to explore appropriate elicitation techniques and protocols, and whose preferences to use. Informed by the results of the qualitative work, a larger valuation survey will be conducted to further explore appropriate techniques and data collection mode. 

This project will be contributing methodological research to the Extending the QALY project, which is developing a broad measure of quality of life for use in economic evaluations across health and social care https://scharr.dept.shef.ac.uk/e-qaly/about-the-project/. The Extending the QALY project is funded by a Medical Research Council Industry Collaboration Award with the Euroqol Group. 

This PhD project aligns strongly with the Health Economics and Decision Science work theme of measuring and valuing health. The student will work closely with the ScHARR Outcomes group and benefit from engagement with current preference elicitation work. 

Funding Notes

The UPGRC Scholarships for Medicine, Dentistry & Health are 3.5 years in duration and cover fees and stipend at Home/EU level. Overseas students may apply but will need to fund the fee differential between Home and Overseas rate from another source. 

This project is also being advertised for the China Scholarship Council Award, further details can be found here: https://www.sheffield.ac.uk/postgraduate/phd/scholarships/csc 

The deadline for applications is 5pm on the 23rd January. 

Professor John Brazier

For further details you can send enquiries to  Professor John Brazier or  Dr Donna Rowan

Dr Donna Rowan