Bangor University Health Economists announced amongst the top health researchers in Wales

Professor Rhiannon Tudor Edwards and Professor Dyfrig Hughes, from the Centre for Health Economics and Medicines Evaluation at Bangor University have been named as two of the 15 Senior Research Leaders announced by Health and Care Research Wales in their open 2018 competition. The other 13 Senior Research Leaders are from Cardiff and Swansea Universities. Research leaders were selected on the basis of quality and volume of internationally excellent research, relevance of research to patients, service users and the public, and evidence of personal contribution to Health and Care Research Wales.

Rhiannon and Dyfrig are both fellows of the Learned Society of Wales and respectively lead streams of research on Public Health Economics and Pharmacoeconomics at CHEME. Dyfrig leads on research concerning the safe, effective, and cost-effective use of medicines. His principal areas of interest relate to policies concerning high cost medicines, use of pharmacogenetics to personalise medicines and assessment of the cost-effectiveness of medicines. Focussing on the economics of prevention and public health, Rhiannon and colleagues at CHEME have just published an Oxford University Press textbook on the application of health economics to public health practice and research. Rhiannon is a qualified coach and mentor and as co-director of the Welsh Health Economics Support Service (WHESS) is helping to build sustained capacity in Health Economics across Wales.

Of the Senior Research Leaders’ award, Dyfrig said “In recognising excellence in health-related research it offers a unique opportunity to support important areas of our research, as well as providing some security to research staff in between contracts.”

Rhiannon added “These awards represent and reflect, our national and international collaborations, and the hard work of our research colleagues at Bangor University.”

Publication date: 5 April 2019