As a health economist, I specialise in the economics of infectious diseases and the economic evaluation of complex public health interventions.
I apply economic tools and methods to understand the transmission of infectious diseases, analyse their impact on individuals and societies, and design effective policies to prevent their spread and negative impacts.
Specifically, my research covers priority setting and cost-effectiveness analysis, the economic impact of epidemics, particularly HIV/AIDS, and the role of individual behaviour in infectious disease transmission. I am leading the economic evaluation of a landmark study on the impact of a combination prevention package on the HIV incidence in Zambia and South Africa.
Although I am a typical academic, my work sometimes requires me to leave my desk and visit our project partners abroad, or travel to health facilities in remote areas, which I really enjoy. I am teaching economic epidemiology and health economics, and supervise a group of brilliant PhD students. I studied economics as an undergraduate at the Technical University of Berlin, before coming to the UK to complete a masters and PhD in Health Economics at the University of York.
I am very motivated when I see how my research influences policy makers. For example, I am currently advising the Global Fund on the economic impact of policies against HIV/AIDS, Malaria and Tuberculosis, and the US Treasury on the impact of HIV/AIDS in low- and middle income countries. I am a member of the Expert Networks ‘Global Health’ and ‘Healthcare Delivery Systems’ of the World Economic Forum.