The Centre for the Business and Economics of Health (CBEH) has appointed Professor Lisa Nissen as the new Director and Taylor Family Chair.
Professor Nissen joined the Centre in 2022 to lead UQ’s EvolveHealth Workforce Optimisation Program and commenced in the Centre leadership role as of November 2024. Professor Haitham Tuffaha, who has been Interim Director since late 2022, will continue to lead CBEH’s Effective and Efficient Healthcare program.
As Director, Professor Nissen said she hopes to continue CBEH’s growth as an epicentre for health system reform and innovation to improve patient care.
“The Centre is uniquely placed to help resolve issues in healthcare reform, particularly those that require cross-disciplinary skills and capabilities,” Professor Nissen said.
“Through system-wide multidisciplinary approaches and collaborations, CBEH can challenge siloed methods of communicating research and foster a flexible ecosystem for novel ideas and strategies.”
Professor Nissen’s research has significantly influenced government policy and practice through innovations in health workforce models and medicines safety services in primary care.
During her time at CBEH, she has secured several grants including $2.8 million from the Federal Government’s Medical Research Future Fund (MRFF) Primary Health Care Research Initiative.
CBEH’s Taylor Family Chair is an endowed position supported by the generosity of Paul Taylor and his family.
Mr Taylor commended Professor Nissen on her dedication to research excellence and was looking forward to seeing her lead the Centre through new opportunities ahead.
“The Centre showcases the value and social impact of interdisciplinary research across business, economics and health,” Mr Taylor said.
“Through their research, the team aim to ensure all Australians live long and happy lives by finding the best way to use the finite resources that we all share as a society.
“I would like to thank Professor Tuffaha, who has taken CBEH from strength to strength in the last two years whilst also retaining responsibility for the Centre’s Effective and Efficient Healthcare Program.”
Prior to joining CBEH, Professor Nissen was Head of School at QUT’s School of Clinical Sciences and, during 2021, was seconded to Queensland Health as Senior Expert Advisor to the COVID-19 Vaccination Taskforce.
Professor Nissen is also leading major projects including a large MRFF-funded Primary Health Care project and research as part of the Department of Health and Aged Care’s Unleashing the Potential of our Health Workforce – Scope of Practice Review, collaborating with long-standing partners in KPMG.
