Studentship in Health Economics: exploring patient and practitioner preferences towards diagnostic tests for cancer

Studentship in Health Economics at University of Exeter Medical School
Funded by Cancer Research UK CanTest
Applications are invited for this Cancer Research UK-funded CanTest 4 year PhD studentship from individuals with a strong academic record who wish to develop a career in health economics. The research will explore patient and practitioner preferences towards diagnostic tests for cancer using choice based experiments and explore the methodological challenges that arise when estimating the risk-benefit trade-off. The award is available from early 2018.
The PhD studentship is part of the CanTest international collaborative, aiming to develop strategies that explore and accelerate improvement in cancer outcomes nationally and internationally through the transformative implementation in primary care of triaging and testing approaches to support early detection of cancer (www.cantest.org). In Exeter, the CanTest Collaborative is hosted by the DISCOVERY group, which conducts diagnostic research, mostly in cancer, working in close collaboration with the Health Economics Group and Health Statistics Group. The researcher will be based in the Health Economics Group (http://medicine.exeter.ac.uk/research/healthresearch/healtheconomics/) which sits within the Institute of Health Research at Exeter, an interdisciplinary grouping of 122 FTE academic and research staff, with particular strengths of methodological work and applied health research.
Prof Anne Spencer and Dr Antonieta Medina-Lara (Health Economics group) with Prof Willie Hamilton (DISCOVERY group) will co-supervise the thesis, which will explore patient preferences and health-economics of diagnostic testing strategies for cancer in primary care and their impact on patient safety. The study will draw on research exploring determinants of behaviour and decision-making related to the risk and uncertainty of undertaking selected diagnostic strategies in primary care. The research will draw upon qualitative data from patients and practitioner experience of tests and reduce these data down to set of key dimensions (using latent class models or best worse) that will inform choice based experiments to estimate implicit weights for these dimensions. Prof Greg Rubin (Newcastle, and chair of the CanTest programme) and our international colleagues will provide additional expertise.
Eligibility
We are looking for a dedicated student who brings a background in economics or related discipline (e.g. mathematics, statistics or epidemiology). Successful candidates will have a qualifying degree (usually 2:1 or higher) and have quantitative math skills equivalent to A at A-Level. A Masters in health economics or a relevant subject or experience working in health economics or a health-related discipline would be preferred. We expect you to be highly motivated to make a significant scientific contribution in this area, be able to demonstrate your enthusiasm to work collaboratively in an interdisciplinary environment and have excellent verbal and written communication skills, and excellent problem solving skills assessed through written application and, if shortlisted, interview.

To be eligible for a full award (fees and stipend), a UK or EU student must have no restrictions on how long they can stay in the UK and have been ordinarily resident in the UK for at least 3 years prior to the start of the studentship. Studentship awards include fees and an annual tax-free stipend normally of £19,000.

English
If English is not your first language you will need to have achieved at least 6.5 in IELTS (and no
less than 6.5 in any section) by the start of the programme.

Enquiries
For informal and project-related queries please contact Prof Anne Spencer [Email Address Removed] or Prof Willie Hamilton [Email Address Removed]

How to apply
• You will need to complete an application via the university online system: http://www.exeter.ac.uk/postgraduate/apply/apply/ by 9th February 2018, interviews will be held at the end of February 2018. The application should include: Your CV including full details of all University courses taken with date, with grades if available.
• The names and contact details of two academic referees.
• A covering letter (up to 500 words) explaining why you wish to be considered for this particular studentship, what you will bring to the project and listing any relevant research (and clinical) experience to date.