Control strategies for neglected tropical diseases: an economic modelling assessment

Applications are invited for a 3-year PhD studentship to join an enthusiastic team of researchers at Brighton and Sussex Medical School (BSMS). Funding has been secured via an NIHR Global Health Research Unit to conduct research on neglected tropical diseases (NTDs) in Ethiopia and Sudan. The team is committed to deliver world-class research in an important yet under-researched area to improve health and quality of life in people from low-income communities.

The successful candidate will work closely with health economists, epidemiologists, clinicians and social scientists to develop a range of economic models to evaluate public health control strategies for NTDs in terms of their health benefits, use of resources, effects on productivity and well-being of individuals. Our main focus is on podoconiosis, mycetoma and scabies, conditions which have a significant economic impact on individuals, families, communities and healthcare systems. Model development will include conducting literature reviews, analyses of epidemiological evidence, collecting resource use data, costing treatments and health care packages, and constructing decision models in Excel and TreeAge. The project may involve travel to Ethiopia and Sudan and participation in international conferences and meetings.

We are looking for a highly motivated graduate with a background in health sciences or economics and an interest in conducting interdisciplinary research on NTDs.

The project offers a wide range of training opportunities in health economics, epidemiology and decision modelling. Health economics is a rapidly growing field that links economics and healthcare. There is a high demand for health economists in the healthcare sector, pharmaceutical industry, consulting and academia. This PhD should provide the successful candidate with essential skills and experience to make them highly competitive nationally and internationally.