Two primary roles:
The objective of our research is to improve the community’s health by ensuring that decisions regarding health expenditure (government budgets or from patients’ pockets) and the setting of health policy are informed by economic insight that support efficiency, effectiveness and equity across the healthcare system. Our research seeks to assist medical and health researchers by ensuring that these considerations both inform their approach to the research and improve the probability of their work translating to tangible health impacts.
Simon is an economist with more than 20 years’ research experience conducting applied economics across the corporate and not-for-profit sectors. Immediately prior to joining HMRI, Simon was Director of Research at the Hunter Valley Research Foundation, where his research on the regional economy sought to inform economic and social policy, attract and inform public and private investment and guide economic growth. He was also responsible for the management of large data collection projects, such as Transport for NSW Household Travel Survey and the Second Australian Health and Relationships Study.
Simon’s economic research has directly informed more than $2 billion of private and public sector investment.
Since joining HMRI, he has undertaken work for the Cancer Council (NSW) to inform tobacco policy, for local primary health networks to support the provision of after hours GP services and for the Australian Department of Industry, Innovation and Science regarding the optimisation of medical and health research. He is presently working across a range of research, including interventions to address childhood obesity, surgical treatments, GP researcher training, active transport initiatives, cancer treatments and smoking cessation interventions, collaborating with clinical, policy and academic researchers from HMRI, the University of Newcastle and Hunter New England Health.
Professional
Community
