PhD Studentship in the Health Economics Group: Investigating approaches to the estimation of lifetime progression-free and post-progression mortality rates in cancer patients

Award summary

Funding will cover tuition fees at the Home (UK) rate only, a Research Training and Support Grant (£5,000 p.a.) and an annual stipend aligned to the UKRI rate (£19,237 for 24/25.) Successful international candidates will be required to fund the difference between home and international fees. 

Overview

This project will investigate approaches to the estimation of lifetime progression-free and post-progression mortality rates in cancer patients from shorter-term survival curve data.  

Health economic models of treatments for people with cancer model survival over the lifetime of patients. These models usually incorporate three health states: progression-free (PF) cancer, post-progression (PP) cancer and death.  In the absence of long-term data, this modelling requires the extrapolation of survival curves beyond the end of a clinical trial with relatively short follow-up periods. Two common economic model designs used are state transition models (STMs) and partitioned survival models (PSMs).  

While STMs can be more accurate and more flexible than PSMs at modelling survival, many technology appraisals submitted to the National Institute of Health and Care Excellence (NICE) use PSMs due to the focus in clinical trial data on PFS as the primary end-point and other factors. 

This project will review related methods in the literature. It will investigate whether an alternative novel method can be used to model survival more accurately using PSMs. Appropriate software such as Excel, WinBUGS, R and STATA will be used. 

You will become expert in the use of survival analysis within of health economic modelling and health economic evaluation.  

Number of awards 

1 

Start date  

16th September 2024 

Award duration 

3-year PhD. 

Application closing date 

3rd July 2024 

Sponsor 

Newcastle University  

Name of supervisor/s 

Lead Mr Stephen Rice 

Dr Gurdeep Sagoo 

Dr Nawaraj Bhattarai 

Prof Dawn Craig 

Eligibility Criteria

You must have, or expect to achieve, at least a 2:1 honours degree or international equivalent, in an appropriate subject, including: health economics, decision science, biostatistics, statistics. The candidate must have knowledge of or be willing to learn health economic evaluation. A further qualification such as an MSc is advantageous. 

Applicants whose first language is not English require an IELTS score of 6.5 overall with a minimum of 5.5 in each subsection. International applicants may require an ATAS (Academic Technology Approval Scheme) clearance certificate prior to obtaining their visa and to study on this programme. 

How to apply

You must apply through the University’s Apply to Newcastle Portal   

In ‘Course choice’ tab, click ‘Search Course’ put ‘Postgraduate Research’ in ‘Type of Study’, ‘Full Time’ in ‘Mode of Study’, ‘2024’ in ‘Year of Entry’, code ‘8370F’ in ‘Course Title’, blank in ‘Research Area’.   

Press ‘Search’, select ‘PhD Population Health Sciences (FT)’, and click ‘Save selection.’   

Either upload a document or write into ‘Personal Statement’. Put code ‘PH038’ in ‘Studentship/Partnership Reference’. When prompted for research proposal, select ‘Write Proposal’. Type in the title of the research project from this advert. A research proposal is not required. You can also upload a covering letter and CV, please state how your interests and experience relate to the project.    

Contact Details

Mr Stephen Rice 

E-mail: stephen.rice@ncl.ac.uk  

Telephone: +44 (0) 757079362