Colleges
Melina Dritsaki
BSc, MSc, PhD
OCTRU Senior Health Economist
Expert in economic evaluation of healthcare interventions
I joined the Oxford Clinical Trials Research Unit (OCTRU) – embedded in the Centre for Statistics in Medicine (CSM) – as a Senior Health Economist in January 2016. My main responsibility is to lead the health economics work packages across musculoskeletal, rheumatology, rehabilitation, trauma and surgical interventions. My work is largely cross-disciplinary, as I work closely with orthopaedic surgeons, rheumatologists, GPs, clinical psychologists, physiotherapists as well as statisticians, qualitative researchers and patient representatives. I also teach in the MSc Musculoskeletal Diseases programme and run workshops in the Nuffield Department of Rheumatology and Musculoskeletal Sciences (NDORMS).
Prior to my current position, I have worked as a research fellow at the clinical trials unit, Warwick Medical School (WMS), University of Warwick. I have also acted as the health economic advisor for the National Institute of Health Research (NIHR) Warwick hub of the West Midlands Research Design Services (RDS). Other appointments include research fellow at Brunel University, lecturer at Cass Business School and teaching fellow at Royal Holloway University.
My work is published in numerous international scientific journals and has also been presented in prestigious conferences in my field. I provide peer review for NIHR grant applications and for Health Economics, British Medical Journal, Advances in Therapy and Chronic Respiratory Disease. I am a member of the editorial board of the Athens Journal of Health and the Bone and Joint Journal.
When I am not wandering in the maze of research, I listen to music. I have a passion for classical music and hold a Diploma in piano from the State Conservatory of Thessaloniki, Greece.
Research interests
My research interests relate to applied economic evaluation of health care interventions alongside clinical trials and beyond.
Memberships
I am a member of the UK Health Economists’ Study Group (HESG), the International Health Economics Association (IhEA), Society for Clinical Trials (SCT), Royal Statistical Society (RSS), International Society for Pharmacoeconomics and Outcomes Research (ISPOR), Athens Institute for Education and Research (ATINER) and John Snow Society (Royal Institute of Public Health).
Awards
Young Investigators Award. Cost-utility analysis of a self-management programme of activity, coping and education for COPD. European Respiratory Society. September 2015