Health and Economic Impact of Viral Vaccinations on Antibiotic Use and Resistance

This project is offered as part of the Medical Research Foundation National PhD Training Programme in AMR: https://www.findaphd.com/search/PhDDetails.aspx?CAID=3755

Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) is increasingly recognised as a threat to modern healthcare. An important driver of AMR is inappropriate antibiotic prescribing for selflimiting or viral respiratory tract infections. There is large potential to reduce antibiotic prescribing and AMR by implementing viral vaccination programmes; however, this has not been evaluated yet. Moreover, economic evaluations of viral vaccines have consistently ignored their potential to reduce antibiotic prescribing and AMR, thereby potentially underestimating their cost-effectiveness and promoting underinvestment. This interdisciplinary research will evaluate the potential health and economic impact of influenza and respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) vaccinations on antibiotic use and AMR. This project will involve:

- An evaluation of the impact of the recent implementation of the UK childhood influenza vaccination programme on antibiotic use and AMR
- A cost-effectiveness analysis of influenza vaccination incorporating the impact on antibiotic use and AMR
- An analysis of the cost-effectiveness of RSV vaccines under development, while adequately integrating the impact on antibiotic use and AMR.

This PhD project creates a valuable opportunity to work in both academic and policy environments and learn a unique skill set in an area where there is a shortage of health economists with mathematical and statistical modelling skills. The successful candidate will be enrolled at the Department of Medicine, Imperial College London, and expected to complete a number of Professional Skills courses as part of their doctoral degree. The Graduate School at Imperial provides an internationally renowned and award winning Professional Development Programme for Postgraduate Research and Postgraduate Taught students which will provide additional training and student cohort activity opportunities.

Apply here: https://apply.imperial.ac.uk/login

To make an application go to the link above, select 'science, engineering and medicine then Clinical Medicine Research, A3Z1DM for a PhD. Please ensure you submit references and other documentation as listed in the guidelines here- http://www.imperial.ac.uk/study/pg/apply/how-to-apply/ . For proposed research topic, please enter the title specified in this advert above. This can be refined at a later date. Please select Ceire Costelloe as your supervisor.