UNIVERSITY OF LEICESTER, UK
Leicester Medical School
Department of Health Sciences
PHD STUDENSTHIP
Stipend £12,300 pa + UK/EU tuition fees
Available from 1st July 2007 for 3 years full-time
A PhD studentship is available to undertake methodological and applied research in the highly topical area of statistical issues in healthcare decision modelling. Two related areas where research is urgently required are (i) the development of statistical methodology for the economic evaluation of diagnostic tests, and (ii) the added value of obtaining and analysing individual patient data for informing model structure and parameter estimates in decision models. The successful applicant will have the opportunity to either focus on one of the above areas or research at the interface of both.
The successful applicant should have an MSc in Medical Statistics, Health Economics, Operations Research or related. Some experience of at least one of the following areas would be highly desirable: Economic evaluation, Meta-analysis methods, Decision analysis, Bayesian methods, Evaluation of diagnostic tests. The successful applicant will be based within the Department of Health Sciences and will be jointly supervised by Dr Nicola Cooper, Dr Alex Sutton, and Professor Keith Abrams. The studentship is funded for 3 years full-time.
Informal enquiries can be made to either Dr Nicola Cooper, Senior Research Fellow (Tel 0116 229 7267, email [log in to unmask]) or Dr Alex Sutton, Reader in Medical Statistics (Tel 0116 229 7268, email [log in to unmask]) or Professor Keith Abrams, Professor of Medical Statistics (Tel 0116 229 7266, email [log in to unmask]).
Application procedure: Applications including a Curriculum Vitae, brief research statement outlining why you are interested in the PhD, and names and contact details of two academic referees should be sent to Mrs S Atkinson (email [log in to unmask]) by Monday 14th May 2007.
Further Particulars
Supervisors:
Dr Nicola Cooper, Senior Research Fellow
Dr Alex Sutton, Reader in Medical Statistics
Professor Keith Abrams, Professor of Medical Statistics
Project synopsis:
The PhD will be in the highly topical area of statistical issues in healthcare decision modelling. The use of decision models to evaluate competing healthcare interventions has increased dramatically in recent years, in part due to the creation of National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE). However, there is currently a lack of statistical rigour in the way such models are constructed and evaluated. Two related areas where research is urgently required are:
i) The development of statistical methodology for the economic evaluation of diagnostic tests
ii) The added value of obtaining and analysing individual patient data for informing model structure and parameter estimates in decision models
The successful candidate will have the opportunity to either focus on one of the above areas or research at the interface of both.
The Biostatistics Group within the Department of Health Sciences has an international reputation in the area of statistical issues and evidence synthesis for the economic evaluation of healthcare. The supervisors have previously published influential papers on comprehensive decision analysis for treatment evaluation based on summary data - the integration of evidence synthesis and decision modelling. This studentship would complement ongoing research within the group by extending and refining key aspects of the comprehensive decision modelling framework to allow the evaluation of diagnostic tests and/or the incorporation of individual patient data within such a framework. The work also complements existing PhD studentships addressing publication bias in comprehensive decision modelling and use of a 'chain of evidence' approach to evidence synthesis in comprehensive decision modelling.
Further details regarding postgraduate study at Leicester can be found on the Graduate School website (www.le.ac.uk/gradschool/) whilst further details about the Department of Health Sciences can be found at www2.le.ac.uk/health-sciences
Essential Criteria:
* M.Sc in Medical Statistics, Health Economics, Operations Research or related
Desirable:
* Experience in at least two of the following areas; Economic evaluation, Meta-analysis, Decision Analysis, Bayesian methods, Evaluation of diagnostic tests
* Excellent communication skills, both oral & written.
* Experience of group-based working within a research environment.
Application procedure: applications including a Curriculum Vitae, brief research statement outlining why you are interested in the PhD, and names and contact details of two academic referees should be sent to Mrs S Atkinson (email [log in to unmask]) by Monday 14th May 2007.
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Keith R Abrams
Professor of Medical Statistics &
Course Director, MSc in Medical Statistics
Department of Health Sciences
University of Leicester
2nd Floor, Adrian Building
University Road
LEICESTER LE1 7RH
Tel +44 (0)116 229 7266
FAX +44 (0)116 229 7250
Email [log in to unmask]
WWW www.le.ac.uk/hs/kra1
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