In the world of health technology assessment (HTA), a “one-size-fits-all” approach rarely leads to success. Heather Davies, Project Director at YHEC, specialises in building bespoke project plans that identify risks and evidence gaps early in the development cycle, helping her to clients secure the necessary approvals to get innovative medical devices off the shelf and into the hands of healthcare providers. In this blog, we interview Heather to find out how she got into this role, what her day-to-day work looks like, and what she enjoys most about being part of YHEC.
What is your name and role?
My name is Heather Davies, and I’m a Project Director at YHEC.
Tell us about your qualifications and career path that brought you to YHEC
I’ve taken a bit of a scenic route to health economics! I started with a Zoology degree in Scotland, followed by curatorial work at the University of St Andrews and an MSc in Bioarchaeology in Exeter. I eventually pivoted into health economics because I wanted to stay within a scientific discipline while focusing on my interest in human health. That led me to YHEC, where I have been for eight years now. I originally joined the team as a Research Assistant and have since progressed through the company to my current role as Project Director.
What is the main focus of your work at YHEC?
My main focus at YHEC is leading a diverse portfolio of projects from their very first spark to final completion. I collaborate with a whole range of clients, listening to their needs, and determining how we can best support their goals. For me, the work feels most significant when a project we’ve planned and executed provides the evidence needed to make a real difference in healthcare: there’s a huge sense of pride in seeing those projects through to completion.
What clients do you typically work with? And what’s a key challenge that you help YHEC’s clients overcome?
I typically partner with pharmaceutical companies and innovative medical device manufacturers, and one of the key things I do is bridge the ‘evidence gap’ when companies are trying to bring a new product to market. Navigating the HTA process requires more than just having a product that works: you also have to show that it is a cost-effective use of limited healthcare budgets. By demonstrating this, we help our clients secure the necessary approvals so that patients can actually access life-saving or life-enhancing technologies that might otherwise stay on the shelf.
How do you approach a new project to ensure that the advice you give is the most rigorous and reliable?
It starts from the very first conversation I have with a client, where I make it a priority to understand the specific nuances of their technology and the requirements of the stakeholders they are trying to reach. YHEC doesn’t believe in a ‘one-size-fits-all’ approach; instead, we work together to build a bespoke project plan that identifies potential risks or evidence gaps early on. By being proactive during the planning phase, we ensure that the final advice we provide is dependable, practical and useful.
Do you have favourite methods, or are there any methodological developments that interest you?
I wouldn’t say I have a favourite method, as the right approach always depends on the specific challenge the client is facing. However, I am very interested in the shift towards greater transparency and flexibility in HTA methods. For instance, the way NICE is evolving to consider things like health inequalities and real-world evidence is really exciting. It makes my work as a Project Director more dynamic because we are constantly finding new ways to demonstrate the value of a medical innovation to society.
When a client works with you, how and where will they notice your impact on the success of the project?
I think my impact shows most in the clarity and confidence that a client feels throughout the process. Because I’ve been with YHEC for eight years and have worked on projects at every level, I’ve got the experience to be able to anticipate hurdles before they become an issue.
They’ll also see my influence in the way a complex project is broken down into a manageable, transparent strategy. This ensures that by the time we reach the final delivery, there are no surprises, just a robust, high-quality piece of evidence that they feel completely prepared to defend.
What’s one project you’ve worked on recently that you’re particularly proud of, and why?
I’ve enjoyed leading a long-term collaboration over the last few years with a major MedTech client. In health economics, the most impactful work often happens over time rather than in a single instance. We have been working on adapting economic models for a number of countries around the world, with an aim to provide supportive evidence to help increase access to a life-saving procedure. By working together across multiple projects, our team has developed a deep understanding of the client’s specific therapeutic area and business needs. I really enjoy this level of collaboration and being able to build a reliable, long-term relationship where our work continues to evolve and provide value year after year.
What’s one emerging topic/trend/area that you are paying close attention to?
I’m closely following the shift toward treating real-world evidence (RWE) as a strategic, rather than just supplementary, source of data. We are moving away from relying solely on clinical trials as a gold standard and toward looking at how treatments perform in ‘real life’, where patients have complex, everyday health challenges. For me, this is where the science gets really interesting, using data to tell a more honest and holistic story about a product’s value to society.
What is the most rewarding part of your job or what do you enjoy most about working at YHEC?
What I enjoy most about working at YHEC is the collaborative environment and the journey I’ve been on here. Having started as a Research Assistant and progressed to Project Director over the last eight years, I’ve seen firsthand how much we value internal growth and mentorship. Working alongside people who are not only brilliant economists but also genuinely supportive colleagues makes the challenging projects much more rewarding. Whilst I lead projects mainly in the pharmaceutical and MedTech sectors at YHEC, they can involve support from other sectors (such as the NHS sector or Digital Health Technologies sector) and multiple services, such as our Reviews and Evidence Synthesis service, and our statisticians, It’s that ‘collective brainpower’ we bring to every client problem that makes this a great place to work – it also means brings huge benefits to our clients, and that’s really rewarding too.
What’s your favourite thing to do outside work?
My favourite thing to do outside of the office is kickboxing. It’s a fantastic full-body workout that challenges me physically and mentally. After a day of deep-diving into data and client strategy, there’s nothing quite like getting on the pads to reset.
Tell us a surprising or fun fact about yourself!
During a trip to Namibia, a baboon decided it needed my glasses more than I did and took them straight off my face. I eventually managed to get them back by bribing it with an orange! It’s definitely the most unusual ‘client’ I’ve ever had to handle, and it certainly made the rest of the trip a lot more memorable.
Want to find out more?
To learn more about our expertise in HTA and how we can support your needs, contact us.
YHEC will also be attending HTAi 2026, where Heather and colleague, Robert Malcolm, will deliver a workshop. Join them on 06 June for “From Theory to Action: Guidelines and Methods for Integrating Health Equity into Economic Evaluations”.