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Reposted by Bren Collins

Public Health, Policy and Systems @ University of Liverpool @livuni-phps.bsky.social · 24/11/2025

1/ From UK Covid-19 Inquiry report on Modules 2, 2A, 2B, 2C (Core decision-making & political governance) 🛟 📚 Chapter 9: Scientific and technical advice 📖 Section: Challenges with understanding 👤 Our PHPS colleague Dr Brendan Collins mentioned 🔗: covid19.public-inquiry.uk/reports/modu...

covid19.public-inquiry.uk

Modules 2, 2A, 2B, 2C - Core decision-making and political governance - Volume II - UK Covid-19 Inquiry

The independent public inquiry to examine the Covid-19 pandemic in the UK

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Reposted by Bren Collins

Owen Bowden-Jones @owenbowdenjones.bsky.social · 28/05/2025

JUST PUBLISHED: ACMD report on prevention of drug use by young people in the UK assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/6835e4...

assets.publishing.service.gov.uk

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Bren Collins @breconomics.bsky.social · 31/05/2025

Is it normal to have five different kinds of gherkins on the go in your fridge at the same time? Asking for a friend #gherkins

Shot inside fridge showing 5 jars of gherkins of various types.

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Reposted by Bren Collins

Public Health, Policy and Systems @ University of Liverpool @livuni-phps.bsky.social · 23/05/2025

📣 Funded 3yr PhD opening for UK applicants in @hpruezi.bsky.social @liverpooluni.bsky.social. #PhDSky 🧪 On "Economic Evaluation of NPIs for the control of epidemics" #IDSky #EpiSky 👥 Supervised by our colleague @breconomics.bsky.social ⏳ Apply by 09 Jun 2025 🔗: www.findaphd.com/phds/project...

About the Project
This studentship explores the economics of non-pharmaceutical interventions (NPIs) for emerging zoonotic infections, building on evidence of implementation challenges during COVID-19. It aims to develop economic models & define cost-benefit by considering trade-offs between health outcomes and macroeconomic outcomes. The research will establish a utility function for NPIs, identify tipping points, and assess their cost-effectiveness & impact on health inequalities, ultimately informing future epidemic & pandemic preparedness & policy.

This is an exciting opportunity to work with a world-leading team delivering research relevant to public health. This PhD opportunity is funded by the National Institute for Health and Social Care Research (NIHR) Health Protection Research Unit (HPRU) in Emerging & Zoonotic Infections (EZI).

NIHR HPRUs undertake high quality research that enhances the ability of the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) to protect the public’s health & minimise the health impact of emergencies.

This studentship focuses on economics of NPIs for controlling emerging zoonotic infections (EZIs). NPIs are sometimes called Public Health & Social Measures (PHSM). Globalisation, increasing human encroachment into animal habitats & rapid global travel mean that the risk of EZIs is increasing. NPIs such as mass asymptomatic testing with self-isolation of positives & risk mitigation for cultural events, that use a synthetic control analysis approach, had an enormous impact in controlling COVID-19. However, their introduction was not straightforward, with major challenges around their feasibility & acceptability. Most evidence in support of NPIs is from observational & ecological studies. Decisions around NPIs during the pandemic were aimed at saving lives & protecting the NHS. However, many NPIs, especially those which limit civic freedoms & ability to work, have major economic consequences, often not factored into modelling or decision making.

We will characterise and optimise the economic impact of NPIs by developing cost models based on evidence synthesis. We will define cost benefit in terms of short-/long-term health outcomes(e.g. health and social care cost savings and QALYs gained, wellbeing) and macroeconomics(e.g. change in GDP/GVA) and establish a weighting between the two based on data from the COVID-19 pandemic(e.g. stringency of restrictions vs. economic impacts). We will develop a utility function for NPIs and define the ‘tipping point’ and understand if an NPI is a ‘win-win’ - cost effective and able to reduce health inequalities.

This PhD will combine infectious disease epidemiology, economics and policy modelling so would suit someone with a background in several of these areas. It will involve talking to decision makers to understand their priorities and how different outcomes are weighted in decision making.

The exact focus of this PhD will be agreed with the successful applicant based on their own background, and research interests. This is a brief summary.

Support Structure

The student will have PhD supervisor meetings every two weeks initially, then monthly. The student will be hosted in the Department of Public Health, Policy and Systems at University of Liverpool which has a proud history of Public Health research and will benefit from a positive, empowering research community.

About the HPRU-EZI

The HPRU-EZI is a partnership between the Universities of Liverpool, Oxford and Glasgow, Liverpool-STM, London-SHTM and UKHSA. HPRU-EZI has been running since 2014 and supports and strengthens UKHSA in its role protecting England from emerging infections and zoonoses (i.e. those which spread from animals to humans).

For further details please see our brochure and our website:

http://hpruezi.nihr.ac.uk/media/artlflhc/hpru-ezi-brochure.pdf

http://hpruezi.nihr.ac.uk/

This PhD studentship falls under the Non-Pharmaceutical Interventions theme.

For initial queries or to arrange an informal chat please email your CV, cover letter and project title to brenc@liv.ac.uk

Interviews are likely to take place in June/July 2025 with a plan for the PhD to begin in around October 2025, for a period of three years.

Funding Notes
The studentship is funded by NIHR HPRU EZI-3 project.

The studentship includes a stipend (currently £19,237) and UK/home tuition fees for 3 years, plus a budget for computer, consumables, travel and publications and some budget for training.

What we are looking for

First degree in a numerate subject(e.g. Maths, Economics, Psychology).

Masters degree in a relevant subject(e.g. global health, epidemiology, health economics etc) or relevant work experience.

This is a multidisciplinary studentship so candidates will need to be proactive in working across different disciplines and driving their own learning. They will also need to be able to search the policy literature and organize workshops with decision makers to understand priorities.

People from diverse backgrounds have historically been under-represented in the health and social care research talent pipeline. We are committed to addressing under-representation in research training awards and encourage applications from diverse groups.

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Bren Collins @breconomics.bsky.social · 13/05/2025

Did we think enough about the economic costs of NPIs in the covid-19 pandemic? What should we do differently in future epidemics/pandemics? Really exciting fully funded PhD opportunity with me, combining policy, infectious diseases, and economic modelling. Please reach out to me if interested.

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Reposted by Bren Collins

UNICEF USA @unicefusa.org · 03/04/2025

UNICEF's Julia Rees reports from one of the areas most impacted by the earthquake in #Myanmar. Families already surviving in fragile conditions now face even greater hardship, with limited access to safe water, health care and shelter. UNICEF is on the ground mobilizing urgently needed supplies.

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Bren Collins @breconomics.bsky.social · 07/03/2025

Guest seminar in Liverpool Institute for Population Health next week:

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Reposted by Bren Collins

Colin Angus @victimofmaths.bsky.social · 28/01/2025

Looking at cider overall, the proportion of households buying cider fell, as you might expect given it was the most affected product under MUP. But this fall was *much* larger in younger (under 28) households.

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Reposted by Bren Collins

Colin Angus @victimofmaths.bsky.social · 28/01/2025

We also look at changes in Wales in the proportion of households that buy wine or spirits ("penetration") and fine these rose relative to England in 2020, but had fallen below pre-pandemic levels by 2022. We also find that 45-54 year olds were spending more on cider post-MUP.

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Reposted by Bren Collins

Colin Angus @victimofmaths.bsky.social · 28/01/2025

But when we compare how that increase looked in Wales (in blue) to England (in red), we can see that purchase volume rose slightly less in Wales. We can also clearly see the effects of MUP on price, with average spend on alcohol per shopping trip and overall spend rising more in Wales.

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Reposted by Bren Collins

Colin Angus @victimofmaths.bsky.social · 28/01/2025

The fact that MUP in Wales came in immediately before the first lockdown makes evaluating its impact challenging. Our data only covers alcohol bought in shops, so we see a rise in average weekly purchase (AWP) of alcohol in our data at the start of lockdown, when pubs closed.

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Reposted by Bren Collins

Colin Angus @victimofmaths.bsky.social · 28/01/2025

Another day, another cool new paper, this time with Sonam Billan and @breconomics.bsky.social looking at the impact of Minimum Unit Pricing on alcohol sales in Wales. We find alcohol sales fell, particularly among younger cider drinkers. doi.org/10.1016/j.pu...

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Bren Collins @breconomics.bsky.social · 05/01/2025

Enjoyed some Schlittenfahrenzeit with my kids this morning

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Bren Collins @breconomics.bsky.social · 19/12/2024

Evidence Synthesis Officer (NHS Band 6) Public Health Wales. Post in Public Health Economics and Value team in the WHOCC on Investment for Health and Well-being. One of the main responsibilities will be in joint project with PAHO on the social value of immunization. phw.nhs.wales/careers/#!/j...

phw.nhs.wales

Careers

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Bren Collins @breconomics.bsky.social · 17/12/2024

Come and work with me and my colleagues on an exciting project with the Health Foundation around modelling multimorbidity Research Fellow (Epidemiology & Data Science) Public Health, Policy & Systems Grade 8 £46,485 - £58,596 pa 07-Jan-2025 23:30 my.corehr.com/pls/ulivrecr...

my.corehr.com

Job Specification

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Bren Collins @breconomics.bsky.social · 13/12/2024

Really interesting commentary on 50 years of QALYs. I wonder how we will be prioritising health interventions in 50 years time ? www.ispor.org/publications...

ispor.org

Measuring Value—The QALY Turns 50: What Has It Achieved and What Is Its Future?

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Bren Collins @breconomics.bsky.social · 06/12/2024

I have been enjoying reading a bit of this by @kityates.bsky.social in the last few days - would recommend

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Bren Collins @breconomics.bsky.social · 14/11/2024

Interested in healthy food environments in Zimbabwe? I am looking forward to presenting at this webinar organised by UNICEF Zimbabwe next Thursday 11am Zimbabwe time (9am UK time).

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Bren Collins @breconomics.bsky.social · 12/11/2024

Still time to register for my REAL seminar next week on using health economics in local government and devolved administrations- it's free and open to anyone to attend online www.york.ac.uk/che/events-a...

york.ac.uk

The REAL Units’ Health Economics and Policy Seminar Series - Brendan Collins

Seminar speaker: Brendan Collins

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Reposted by Bren Collins

Prof Harry Sumnall @profhrs.bsky.social · 07/11/2024

Very pleased that our team has been awarded funding to develop an innovative new universal drug prevention intervention with targeted components for older adolescents www.nihr.ac.uk/news/new-res...

nihr.ac.uk

New research to help reduce demand for drugs in young people

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Bren Collins @breconomics.bsky.social · 19/09/2024

Bluesky now has over 10 million users, and I was #2,757,862!

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Reposted by Bren Collins

Fionna O’Leary @fascinatorfun.bsky.social · 12/09/2024

National Trust Members: Time to use the Quick Vote Option to block the usual shenanigans from Farage/ Tufton St “Restore Trust” You will find your membership number on your card or on an email from the National Trust sent to you in the last week or so. www.nationaltrust.org.uk/who-we-are/a...

nationaltrust.org.uk

Annual General Meeting

Your Annual General Meeting (AGM) will take place at 10am on Saturday 2 November 2024 at the Civic Centre, Newcastle upon Tyne.

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Bren Collins @breconomics.bsky.social · 22/08/2024

I am currently loving listening to Jacque Brel's final album, Les Marquises, recorded when he was 48 years old and knew he was terminally ill with lung cancer. Some beautifully sad moments. open.spotify.com/album/29nvpX...

open.spotify.com

Les Marquises

Album · Jacques Brel · 1977 · 17 songs

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Bren Collins @breconomics.bsky.social · 08/08/2024

Had this commentary published last week on oral anticoagulants for AF , apologies if it's paywalled for you - message me if you want a copy pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/39093501/

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Delaying Oral Anticoagulants: A False Economy? - PubMed

Delaying Oral Anticoagulants: A False Economy?

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Bren Collins @breconomics.bsky.social · 08/08/2024

So this is my first post on Blue sky. I am a health economist, I have done a lot of work on CVD and food policy. Also led on COVID modelling for Welsh Govt during the pandemic. Have worked in health service (NHS), local and national govt, Academia and as a consultant for UNICEF.

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