Dr John O'Dwyer

Profile

I am a Research Fellow in Health Economics with research interests in the economic evaluation of health interventions, patient preferences, and patient-reported outcome measures (PROMs).

I joined the Academic Unit of Health Economics in 2012 after completing an MSc in Health Economics at University College Cork (UCC), Ireland. Before this, I worked as a Teaching Assistant in the Department of Economics at UCC and outside academia with BNY Mellon (Ireland and Luxembourg).

I completed a National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR) Doctoral Fellowship from 2018 to 2024. My doctoral research focused on methods for estimating health-related quality of life, with a focus on adults with learning disabilities.

Research interests

I am a co-applicant and health economist on several NIHR and charity-funded research projects. My work encompasses learning disabilities, dementia, cancer, lifestyle interventions, and autoimmune conditions.

Current and Past Research Projects:

• Adapting the EQ-5D-3L for adults with learning disabilities: Published development work
• 3i-o: Impact of an intervention on inequalities in overprescribing.
• MAGNET: Enhancing medicines self-management in community-dwelling people living with dementia and their family carers: an intervention development and feasibility study.
• STAMINA: Supported exercise training for men with prostate cancer on androgen deprivation therapy: RCT

• CANassess: A cluster randomised trial of a Needs Assessment Tool for adult Cancer patients and their carers (NAT-C) in primary care.

• SALRISE: Salivary electro-stimulation for the treatment of dry mouth in patients with Sjögren’s syndrome: a multicentre randomised sham-controlled double-blind study.

• OK-Diabetes: Supported self-management for adults with type 2 diabetes and a learning disability: feasibility study
• TICOPA: Tight control of psoriatic arthritis: RCT comparing intensive management versus standard care in early psoriatic arthritis.
• IMPACCT: Improving the management of pain from advanced cancer in the community.
• TRACTISS: A randomised double-blind placebo-controlled trial of anti-B-cell therapy in patients with primary Sjögren’s syndrome.
• IMPROVDENT: Improving dentures for patient benefit.

Qualifications

• Associate Fellow of the Higher Education Academy
• PhD Health Economics - University of Leeds
• MSc Health Economics - University College Cork
• Postgraduate Diploma in Health and Evaluation Economics - University College Cork
• Bachelor of Business Studies (Econ. & Fin.) - University of Limerick

Professional memberships

• Health Economics Study Group (HESG)
• Health Economics Association of Ireland (HEAI)
• Chartered Society of Physiotherapy Charitable Trust Scientific Panel (2017 – 2025)

Student education

I contribute to a range of undergraduate and postgraduate modules and I am available to supervise PhD students.

Research groups and institutes

• Leeds Institute of Health Sciences
• Health economics
• Academic Unit of Health Economics