Staff Profile

I am a Senior Research Associate within the Health Economics Group at the Newcastle University Population Health Sciences Institute (NUPHSI).  I have over 15 years of experience and published over 70 peer-reviewed publications. Since joining NUPHSI in 2018, I have developed a wealth of experience in shaping and leading research in a range of clinical and care areas like glaucoma, cutaneous melanoma, non-small-cell lung cancer, colorectal cancer, prostate cancer, pelvic organ prolapse disease, respiratory infections disease, inflammatory bowel diseases, cardiovascular diseases, sepsis and etc. As a health economic methodologist, I take the lead in developing research.  My research focuses on the development and application of model-based economic evaluation, network meta-analysis, survival analysis, discrete choice experiments and diagnostic accuracy studies. Reflecting this expertise is my role in the Newcastle Technology Assessment Review Centre. In this, I take on the role of project lead for individual projects as well as providing expert input to other projects in the areas of modelling, diagnostic test evaluation and network meta-analysis.

I have developed strong links with various groups within the University and beyond.  I am a member of the Management team for the Newcastle MIC and lead health economics collaboration between the Health Economics Group (HEG) and the Newcastle MIC.  I am also a methodological advisor and health economics specialist for the NIHR Research Design Service (RDS) North East North Cumbria. The teams that I advise come from a range of clinical and care areas and a range of experiences.  I now have the demonstrable ability to develop and lead projects as well as to work independently and as a part of a team.  I also provide academic leadership to ECRs in research projects.  I have worked as an expert review group (ERG) with NICE and one of the other Technology Assessment Centres and now I lead a team of health economists and other methodologists in the Newcastle Technology Assessment Review Centre which is funded by NIHR to complete Technology Assessment Review (TAR) on behalf of NICE and other national decision-making organisations.

My research plan is to further develop my academic leadership in the area of health economics and test evaluation. I will continue working on a wide variety of projects and topics as my focus is on developing and applying evaluation methods. For this, I have begun to articulate a program of methodological work that I will seek to address and develop applied research proposals.  This interest is typified by my role in the Newcastle Technology Assessment Review Centre which is funded by NIHR to complete a Technology Assessment Review (TAR) on behalf of NICE and other national decision-making organisations.  For both methodological and applied work, I will actively seek to enhance my collaborations both within the University and beyond.  In this, I will continue to actively seek out and develop opportunities for interdisciplinary research.

In NUPHSI I have worked on several research projects.  These include the NIHR-funded Treatment of Advanced Glaucoma Study (TAGS), the industry-funded Mologic SEPSIS Test study, and the WHO-funded Healthcare-Associated Infections (WHO-HAI).  Other studies include the industry-funded Prostate Cancer GlycoScore test, and the NIHR-funded health behavior interventions in adults with severe and multiple disadvantaged projects.  More details of research projects are mentioned in the following:

1. Non-ST segment elevation myocardial infarction randomized interventional treatment study (SENIOR RITA). Status: Running.
2. Using polygenic risk scores in NHS practice Status: Completed.
3. Defining the role and clinical need through care pathway analysis for GlycoScore: a new blood test for the detection, diagnosis and differentiation of patients with benign prostate hyperplasia and prostate cancer.  Status: Completed, paper under submission.
4. AntiMicrobial Stewardship: Training and Education to deliver behavior Change; AMS TEACH. Status: Running.
5. Systematic review of economic evaluations of interventions to prevent and control healthcare-associated infections; WHO-HAI. Status: Completed, paper under submission.
6. Systematic review of oral health and related health behaviour interventions in adults with severe and multiple disadvantage; SMD PRP. Status: Running.
7. Treatment of Advanced Glaucoma Study (TAGS): a multiple randomised controlled trial comparing primary medical treatment with primary trabeculectomy for people with newly diagnosed advanced glaucoma. Status: Completed, papers published and under review.
8. Diagnostic Accuracy Study of Mologic Test: A test for early identification of patients with suspected SEPSIS. Status: Completed, papers in preparation.
9. Optimal surveillance of strategies for AJCC stage II cutaneous melanoma post-primary tumor excision.  Status: Completed.
10. Asymptomatic COVID-19 staff testing avoiding doing harm. Status: Completed.
11. Evaluating the clinical performance and utility of the BioFire JI Panel in the diagnosis of acute native joint and prosthetic joint infection. Biomerieux Ltd. Status: Grant submitted.
12. Non-surgical interventions for managing pelvic organ prolapse in women: a network meta-analysis and cost-effectiveness analysis. Wellbeing of Women. Status:Grant submitted
13. YCR UK The Rural Early Diagnosis (RED) Trial: A feasibility study. Yorkshire Cancer Research (YCR). Status: Grant submitted
14. NICE Technology Assessment Review (TAR). Tepotinib for treating advanced non-small-cell lung cancer with MET gene alterations. Status: Completed.
15. NICE Diagnostic Assessment Programme (DAP). Genedrive MT-RNR1 ID Kit for detecting single nucleotide polymorphism m.1555A>G in neonates. Status: Running

I lecture on the Critical Appraisal of Economic Evaluation Section in the health economics module on the Newcastle MPH course.   I also continue to design and deliver training in the area of health economics and Diagnostics.  This includes sessions on methods for different types of health technology assessment that will form the work of the Newcastle Technology Assessment Review Centre.  In addition to this, I am also providing training along with colleagues in the Newcastle MIC on the fundamental of health economics in designing care pathways for MSc clinical scientists’ students.

• Kernohan A, Homer T, Shabaninejad H, King AJ, Hudson J, Fernie G. Cost-effectiveness of primary surgical versus primary medical management in the treatment of patients presenting with advanced glaucoma. British Journal of Ophthalmology 2022, epub ahead of print.
• Joyes EC, McGowan LJ, Adams EA, Paisi M, Burrows M, Shabaninejad H, Beyer F, Haddow K, Coyte A, Landes D, Moffatt S, Watt RG, Sniehotta FF, Bambra C, Craig D, Kaner E, Ramsay SE. Exploring interventions to improve the oral health and related health behaviours of adults experiencing severe and multiple disadvantage: protocol for a qualitative study with stakeholders. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health 2021, 18(22), 11755.
• McGowan LJ, Joyes EC, Adams EA, Coyte A, Gavin R, Richmond C, Shabaninejad H, Beyer F, Broadbridge A, Dobson K, Landes D, Moffat S, Watt RG, Sniehotta FF, Freeman R, Paisi M, Bambra C, Craig D, Kaner E, Ramsay SE. Investigating the Effectiveness and Acceptability of Oral Health and Related Health Behaviour Interventions in Adults with Severe and Multiple Disadvantage: Protocol for a Mixed-Methods Systematic Review. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health 2021, 18(21), 11554.
• McGowan L, Joyes E, Adams E, Richmond C, Shabaninejad H, Beyer F, Broadbridge A, Dobson K, Landes D, Moffat S, Watt R, Sniehotta F, Paisi M, Bambra C, Craig D, Kaner E, Ramsay S. Systematic review of oral health and related health behaviour interventions in adults with severe and multiple disadvantages. PROSPERO 2020, CRD42020202416.