Dr Alison F. Smith

Profile

I am a Lecturer in Health Economics based at the Academic Unit of Health Economics (AUHE) at the University of Leeds. My research focuses on the health-economic evaluation of medical tests and technologies, in particular the use of early and advanced modelling to evaluate novel diagnostic, prognostic and predictive tests. I lead the Test Evaluation Group, a team of health economists focused on the economic evaluation of medical tests, and I am a leading health economist on the NIHR HealthTech Research Centre (HRC) in Accelerated Surgical Care. I also work closely with the Leeds Biomedical Research Centre (BRC).

I have over 10 years of experience in the economic evaluation of medical technologies, including evaluations conducted alongside clinical trials as well as model-based assessments. I have worked on largescale health technology assessments (HTAs), as well as smaller projects with small to medium sized enterprises (SMEs). Prior to working with the NIHR HRC, I worked as a leading health economist on the NIHR Leeds In Vitro Diagnostic Co-operative, working closely with companies to advise them on the appropriate generation of evidence for novel tests. I have expertise in economic decision modelling, including Discrete Event Simulation (DES) modelling, using Excel, R and Simul8 software.

Between 2017 and 2019 I completed my NIHR Doctoral Fellowship, which focused on exploring methods for incorporating data on test measurement uncertainty (aka ‘analytical validity’ or ‘technical performance’) within Health Technology Assessments (HTAs) of in-vitro tests. Since August 2020 I have worked as a Lecturer within the AUHE, and since 2024 I took on the role of module leader for the postgraduate module ‘Introduction to Health Economics’ (MEDR5260M). I am a founding member of the annual Methods for the Economic Evaluation of Diagnostics (MEED) Research Forum, which takes place annually at different centres across the UK; I sit as an expert member on the European Federation of Clinical and Laboratory Medicine (EFLM) Test Evaluation Working Group; and I have acted as an expert advisor to the National Institute of Health and Care Excellence (NICE) on their Innovative Devices Access Pathway (IDAP) pilot program. 

Responsibilities

• Test Evaluation Group (TEG) Lead
• AUHE Modelling Methodology Group co-Lead
• • Postgraduate module ‘Introduction to Health Economics’ (MEDR5260M) Module Lead

Research interests

My research interests focus on methods for robust and efficient evaluations of medical tests and devices. Some of the research projects I am currently working on include:

• OPTIMA (https://optimabreaststudy.com/ )
• IDEAS (https://www.fundingawards.nihr.ac.uk/award/ICA-SCL-2018-04-ST2-004)
• Anti-PLA2R (https://fundingawards.nihr.ac.uk/award/NIHR202817)
• HRC (https://hrc-surgical.nihr.ac.uk/)

Qualifications

• PhD Health Economics
• MSc Health Economics
• BSc Natural Sciences (Maths and Philosophy)

Professional memberships

• UK Health Economics Study Group
• Health Technology Assessment International
• International Health Economics Association
• EFLM Test Evaluation Working Group
• EFLM Performance Specifications based on Outcome Studies focus group

Research groups and institutes

• Leeds Institute of Health Sciences
• Academic Unit of Health Economics
• Test Evaluation Group
• Decision Modelling Group
• Health economics
• Diagnostics and pathology