Dr Paola Cocco

Profile

I started working in the Academic Unit of Health Economics (AUHE) at the University of Leeds as a Research Fellow in 2022. Previously, I have joined AUHE in 2018 as a Postgraduate Researcher in Health Economics, during which I completed my PhD. 
My PhD thesis aimed to explore how to integrate early economic evaluation methods (e.g. threshold and headroom analysis) into Target Product Profiles (TPPs) via a case study example: a new rapid diagnostic test for Clostridiodies difficile infection. I have developed an early economic model, comprising a discrete event simulation, to derive the key performance requirements - such as minimum diagnostic accuracy, maximum cost, and turnaround time - necessary for new rapid tests to be cost-effective in clinical practice. 

I have expertise in early economic evaluation and decision modelling, including resource-constrained discrete event simulation modelling using SIMUL8 and R. My current research projects are focused on the evaluation of medical tests and devices, with an emphasis on their impact on clinical pathways, patient health outcomes and healthcare resource use.

Research interests

My research interests focus on early economic modelling of new medical technologies, including medical tests, digital health technologies and medical devices.

I am particularly interested in the following areas:

• building economic models to generate insights that help manufacturers and developers in shaping and refining new technologies;
• developing simulation models to capture the full care pathway, bottlenecks and resources associated with the implementing a new technology;
• the use of target product profiles to guide the development process of new technologies, ensuring new technologies align with clinical and economic requirements for successful adoption.

Qualifications

• PhD in Health Economics - University of Leeds (2022)
• European Master in Health Economics and Management - Erasmus University & Oslo University (2018)
• BSc in Business Administration and Management (CLEAM) - Universita' Commerciale Luigi Bocconi (2016)

Research groups and institutes

• Leeds Institute of Health Sciences
• Health economics
• Test Evaluation Group
• Decision Modelling Group