Job Description

Staff - Non Union

Job Category M&P - AAPS

Job Profile AAPS Salaried - Research and Facilitation, Level A

Job Title Research Health Economist

Department Research | Lynd Lab | Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences

Compensation Range $4,688.67 - $6,754.00 CAD Monthly

The Compensation Range is the span between the minimum and maximum base salary for a position. The midpoint of the range is approximately halfway between the minimum and the maximum and represents an employee that possesses full job knowledge, qualifications and experience for the position. In the normal course, employees will be hired, transferred or promoted between the minimum and midpoint of the salary range for a job.

Posting End Date September 23, 2023

Note: Applications will be accepted until 11:59 PM on the day prior to the Posting End Date above.

Job End Date Sept 30, 2024

At UBC, we believe that attracting and sustaining a diverse workforce is key to the successful pursuit of excellence in research, innovation, and learning for all faculty, staff and students. Our commitment to employment equity helps achieve inclusion and fairness, brings rich diversity to UBC as a workplace, and creates the necessary conditions for a rewarding career.

Job Summary

The University of British Columbia\xe2\x80\x99s Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences Collaboration for Outcomes Research and Evaluation (CORE) unit addresses the need for clinical and economic research and education in pharmaceutical outcomes assessment. The CORE team is a multidisciplinary group of researchers with expertise in clinical pharmacy, pharmacoepidemiology, health economics, health services research, program evaluation and health promotion research.

The Lynd Research Group within CORE is seeking a Research Health Economist to support the economic evaluation of the RAPIDOMICS2.0 project, which evaluates the potential costs and benefits of providing long-read rapid genome sequencing (rGS) as a clinical diagnostic test for genetic diseases in critically ill newborns and infants in British Columbia (BC). The evaluation will be centred around the development of a set of decision-analytic models that will allow the team and stakeholders in Genome BC to evaluate the costs and consequences of different diagnostic strategies, including rapid exome sequencing (rES), rGS, short-read GS and long-read GS.

The data sources of the study include BC-specific data, data in the literature and RAPIDOMICS 2.0 clinical study data. The project will assess the clinical value, limitations, costs and benefits of rGS as a diagnostic test in neonatal or pediatric intensive care units in BC. If successful, it may lead to establishing a provincially funded clinical reference laboratory for rGS. Such a laboratory would also create a robust environment for training healthcare professionals. The research will ultimately improve the quality of genetic healthcare provided to babies with genetic diseases and their families in BC, with the hope to one day extend this service to more than 3,000 pregnancies or infants annually across Canada.

The successful applicant will be responsible for research related to the economic evaluation of rGS, engaging with partners in Genome BC to develop economic models, preparing grant applications and manuscripts, presenting research findings to different audiences, and other related activities. The applicant will also have opportunities to be involved in other health economics projects related to nanomedicine and rare diseases.

Organizational Status
Reports to the Principal Investigator, Dr. Larry Lynd.

Work Performed

Conduct literature reviews and data extraction.

Conduct cost-effectiveness analyses and develop economic models.

Liaise with life science partners to develop and execute health economics projects.

Prepare knowledge translation and communication materials, including manuscripts, reports, and presentations.

Other duties as required.

Consequence of Error/Judgement
This position ensures the appropriate creation and maintenance of key relationships within the life science community. The incumbent must exercise tact, be equitable and function openly, maintaining appropriate confidentiality internally (student, staff, and faculty) and externally (NMIN-affiliated PIs and HQPs, companies, investors, incubators/accelerators, and co-funders). This person will play a key role in monitoring and evaluating research activities, preparing reports in accordance with NMIN funding guidelines, and other initiatives aimed at helping the eHTA project meet its research objectives and project milestones. Inadequate attention to detail and poor work ethic will reflect poorly on the research team and may impact the sustainability of the Lynd Research Group.

Supervision Received
Works under the general guidance of Dr. Larry Lynd and designated senior research associates and fellows. Works directly with other research staff and trainees.

Supervision Given
None

Working Conditions

This position will work in a shared office environment.

Minimum Qualifications
Undergraduate degree in a relevant discipline. Minimum of two years of related experience or an equivalent combination of education and experience.

- Willingness to respect diverse perspectives, including perspectives in conflict with one\xe2\x80\x99s own

- Demonstrates a commitment to enhancing one\xe2\x80\x99s own awareness, knowledge, and skills related to equity, diversity, and inclusion

Preferred Qualifications

Education & Experience:

Post-graduate degree (Masters or equivalent) in health economics, health policy, public health, or a discipline related to health technology assessment preferred.

Experience conducting economic evaluations of health technologies or related research an asset.

Experience with literature reviews and data management is required.

Private sector experience in health economics and outcomes research and/or market access (e.g., consulting, pharma/biotech, etc.) is an asset.

Skills:

Must have research skills and familiarity with working within a research environment, understanding the language and culture of the research community and granting agencies.

Skilled in statistical software programs, such as R, STATA, or SAS

Skilled in Microsoft Office programs; Advanced user of Microsoft Excel; VBA programming experience is an asset.

Understanding of decision-analysis modelling in health technology assessment.

Effective oral and written communication, organizational, time management, and interpersonal skills.

Ability to liaise with a wide range of stakeholders (researchers, investors, incubators/accelerators, and funders) regarding a variety of issues.

Ability to work both independently and within a team environment, exercising sound judgment and decision-making.

Ability to adapt to changing priorities, multitasking, and meeting deadlines.

University of British Columbia