Katie Breheny

During the university vacations Katie worked for a pharmaceutical outsourcing company resolving clinical trial data queries. This proved to be highly relevant experience for her first graduate job at a health economics and outcomes research consultancy. This role exposed her to patient reported outcomes and health economics for the first time. She contributed to a wide variety of projects in clinical areas such as orthopaedics, oncology, and epilepsy, and studies involving methods such as discrete choice experiments and utility valuation.

In this role Katie developed in interest in health economics. The possibility that a new, more effective intervention may not be deemed cost-effective and not provided was troubling, but she understood the dilemma. The assumption in economics that people behaved rationally and according to models was also intriguing. The NIHR Research Methods Fellowship (now Pre-Doctoral Fellowship) was an opportunity to train in health economics and transition from industry to academia.

Katie undertook her fellowship in the Health Economics Unit (HEU) at the University of Birmingham and completed an MSc in Health Economics and Health Policy. In addition, she supervised a summer intern, attended additional courses provided by the Public Health department and conducted systematic reviews of economic evaluations.

The NIHR Research Methods Programme was the perfect fit for my career ambitions. Without the programme I probably would not have made the leap to academia. The HEU’s expertise in research and teaching meant it was an ideal environment to be based in.

Following her fellowship Katie remained in the HEU as a Research Associate, supporting an NIHR Career Development Fellowship held by Professor Emma Frew. The project explored the use of economic evidence in local authority decision making and involved qualitative interviews and a Delphi study. NIHR funding allowed Katie to undertake her PhD alongside this role.

NIHR funding again allowed me to progress my research career, for which I am very grateful. Emma gave me the freedom to develop my own PhD research alongside my role and contribute to an important and policy relevant study.

Katie’s PhD focused on the economic evaluation of school-based public health interventions. Combining semi-structured interviews, psychometric analyses and economic evaluation, Katie utilised the skills and knowledge she had built throughout her career to undertake a methodologically diverse PhD. She also had the opportunity to contribute to an applied study with a local authority public health department, allowing her to see how health economics is a valuable but underutilised asset. Working in HEU alongside her PhD meant she could also develop her academic skillset, including supervising MSc student dissertations and contributing to teaching.

Katie moved to the University of Bristol as a Research Associate based in Health Economics at Bristol (HEB). As an NIHR RDS Health Economics Advisor she assisted researchers developing funding applications, which provided valuable insights into what funders are looking for and what she needed to do to obtain future funding. Katie maintained her interest in public health and is the health economist on an NIHR PHR funded trial of a loneliness intervention. Katie was forwarded the SPHR Launching Fellowship advert by a colleague, who suggested it was “something to look out for next year maybe?”. After some deliberation about the opportunity cost of developing the application and encouragement from Professor Jo Coast, she applied and was awarded her SPHR Post-doctoral Launching Fellowship the day of her PhD Viva.

Working full time, finishing my thesis, developing my launching fellowship application, and preparing for my fellowship interview and PhD Viva in the space of a few months was intense but ultimately worthwhile.

Katie is in the early stages her post-doctoral career. She is based in the Centre for Public Health at the University of Bristol, whilst maintaining her health economics links with HEB. Katie aims to publish several papers from her PhD and disseminate her findings. She will build networks and collaborations, particularly through the SPHR Efficient and Equitable Public Health Systems theme and contributing to an NIHR Public Health Practice Evaluation Scheme (PHPES) project on school based mental health and wellbeing screening tools. She intends to develop a strong application for a post-doctoral fellowship, drawing on the SPHR’s expertise in engagement and public involvement.

My NIHR SPHR Post-doctoral Launching Fellowship is a fantastic opportunity to build on my PhD research and further develop as a public health – health economist. Again, I am very grateful to the NIHR.