As we mark four decades of YHEC, we’re reflecting on the people who have been part of that journey. We’re catching up with alumni to hear where their careers have taken them and how the field of health economics has evolved. In this blog, Andy Street shares memories from their time at YHEC, and reflects on the career path that followed.
What years were you at YHEC, and what was your role during that time?
I worked at YHEC from 1994 to 1999 as a Research Fellow.
Can you tell us about a standout project or achievement from your time with us that you feel particularly proud to have been associated with?
The key things I gained from working at YHEC were learning how to pitch projects to prospective clients and how to work with YHEC colleagues to deliver projects of high quality, on time and within budget.
Are there colleagues, mentors, or leaders from your time at YHEC who had a particular influence on your professional development?
John Posnett, Steve Ryder, Louise Carr, Eileen Robertson were all colleagues who influenced my professional development.
At what point in your studies or early career did you first become aware of health economics as a discipline? What appealed to you about it, and was YHEC your first role in the field?
I did an undergraduate course in health economics and my aunt (who was a nurse) encouraged me to study the MSc in health economics in York. After the MSc, I worked at Monash University in Australia for three years before joining YHEC.
Can you give us a summary of your career path from when you left us to your current role as Professor of Health Economics at London School of Economics?
I joined the Centre for Health Economics in 1999 and was seconded to the Department of Health in 2005-6. I was then promoted to Professor of Health Economics in 2008. I joined the newly created Department of Health Policy at LSE in 2017, and I am currently head of department.
Can you tell us a bit more about your current role and what a “day in the life” looks like for you today?
My days tend to be quite full of meetings, dealing with administrative matters, teaching and marking. I try to keep my Fridays clear of admin so that I can focus on my research projects.
Over the course of your career in health economics, what changes or innovations do you consider to have been the most notable?
When I was at YHEC, we had limited computing capacity, so were restricted to analysing relatively small datasets using rather basic analytical techniques. We had to collect printouts of these analyses from the computing centre some hours later to see if they’d run successfully. Nowadays we have the ability to perform very sophisticated econometric analysis on huge datasets, with results appearing almost immediately. Consequently, the empirical research conducted by health economists has got better and better over time.
Based on your experience, what’s one piece of advice you would give to someone just starting their career in health economics?
Publish! Your ideas will benefit from critical appraisal by your peers, will be shared widely, and will open up new opportunities.
If you were speaking to today’s school leavers, how would you describe health economics as a career, and what pointers or encouragement would you offer to someone considering it?
Wherever in the world we live, the health care system is an extremely important part of our society and we’ll all need it at some point in our lives. As a health economist, you’ll have the ability to help make our health care system work more effectively and efficiently for all those who rely on it.
Looking back at your time with us, is there a particular skill or lesson you learned that has stayed with you throughout your career?
Good project management is fundamental to getting things done well and on time!
Is there anything else that you’d like to comment on?
I had the privilege of working at YHEC early in my career, and the experience was extremely rewarding.
If you’re interested in finding out more about a career in health economics, contact us or keep an eye out for vacancies on our careers page.