Team up with Centre for the Business and Economics of Health researchers to participate in research-related activities for a selected project. You'll have the opportunity to progress and apply your degree-specific knowledge, whilst developing valuable research and professional capabilities.
The application period for the 2025 Winter Research Program has closed.
To check your eligibility and find out more about what's included in the program, please visit UQ Research Experiences.
Available Projects
Health Technology Assessment of Theranostic Radiopharmaceuticals: Opportunities and Challenges
Hours of engagement & delivery mode: For the Winter Research Program, students will participate for 4 weeks, from June 30 to July 25, 2025. Engagement hours will range from 20 to 36 hours per week, with an expected average of around 30 hours per week. The program will be delivered through a hybrid arrangement, allowing for both on-site and remote participation.
Project Description: Radiopharmaceuticals (RTs) are emerging as next generation medical technologies for addressing complex health challenges, and their manufacture offers significant economic benefit to Australia. An important aspect to facilitate translation and improve patient access to new radiopharmaceuticals is to get those products listed on Medicare and/or the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme (PBS).
This research project seeks to systematically review the existing literature concerning regulatory challenges, along with current economic evaluations and relevant clinical studies related to RTs. The outcomes of this project will provide a thorough overview of the available evidence and support the development of a cost-effectiveness analysis for selected theranostic therapies.
Expected learning outcomes and deliverables: The scholar may gain skills in conducting a systematic literature review using multiple databases, data extraction and analysis of available evidence.
The scholar has an opportunity to generate publications from their research and/or oral presentation at research conference at the end of their project.
Suitable for: This project welcomes applications from Bachelor’s / Master's level students with backgrounds in health economics/ applied economics, health service and policy, pharmacy/radiopharmacy or other related backgrounds.
Primary Supervisor: Dr Yufan Wang
Further information: Interested applicants can contact Dr Yufan Wang (yufan.wang@uq.edu.au) for further information.
The Impact of Having a Child on Women’s Mental Health
Hours of engagement & delivery mode: During the winter research period, the scholar will be engaged for four weeks from June 30 to July 25. We expect the student to work on the programme for around 30 hours per week. The project will be offered in a hybrid arrangement (on-site and remotely).
Project Description: The scholar will contribute to a research project that investigates the impact of having a child on women's mental health, with a particular focus on the postpartum period. The study uses advanced panel data methods to provide a richer understanding of the mental health outcomes associated with childbirth.
Expected learning outcomes and deliverables: The scholar may support the literature review, data cleaning and analysis, and manuscript preparation. Specific responsibilities will vary depending on the stage of the project at the time of the placement and the scholar's individual interests.
Suitable for: Background in economics- 3rd, 4th, honours, or masters years.
Primary Supervisor: Dr Elcin Tuzel
Further information: Interested applicants can contact Dr Elcin Tuzel (e.tuzel@uq.edu.au) for further information.
Can a systems thinking lens inform the implementation of the government’s skills and capability matrix to relieve critical health workforce shortages?
Hours of engagement & delivery mode: Hours of engagement must be between 20 – 36 hrs per week and must fall within the official program dates (30 June – 25 July 2025). While on-site attendance is preferred, a hybrid working arrangement will be considered for this position.
Project Description: Research from UQ’s Centre for the Business and Economics of Health, together with input from national stakeholder engagement, culminated in a major federal government report looking at the barriers health professionals face working to their full scope of practice. The report, Unleashing the Potential of our Health Workforce – Scope of Practice Review Final Report, outlined a range of recommendations focused on the consumer and community, multidisciplinary teams and the broader health care system.
A key output of the report was the development of a Skills and Capability Matrix for the health workforce, designed to support the roll out of multi-disciplinary care and reimagined models of care.
The delivery of healthcare is complex and at times chaotic. System behaviours are frequently emergent and therefore unpredictable. Utilising systems thinking tools can help us think differently about complex issues and problems. Systems thinking’s holistic approach to understanding the interconnectedness of system elements and the underlying dynamics of systems can help explain why health systems behave the way they do and offer valuable insights into interventions that can deliver sustainable sought-after change, while helping us understand and to avoid unintended consequences.
This research program will focus on one part of the report – the Skills and Capability Matrix and the Independent Mechanism for conflict resolution. The student will work with systems thinking practitioners from the Centre for the Business and Economics of Health to create systems maps and causal loop diagrams that visually communicate and analyse the opportunities and challenges associated with implementing the skills matrix in a chosen setting.
Expected learning outcomes and deliverables: The student will be introduced to systems thinking and its practical applications, including key systems thinking tools. They will use VENSIM software to develop causal loop diagrams that illustrate the system dynamics and feedback loops contributing to workforce challenges in health. Additionally, they will explore potential interventions from the skills matrix that might help to address these challenges.
The student will also have the opportunity to present their work to a small team, sharing their insights while developing their presentation skills.
Suitable for: This project is open to applications from students with a background in economics or business or any biomedical/health discipline who are 3rd year or beyond.
Primary Supervisor: Dr Sue McAvoy, PHD, MBA, 1st class Hons (Econometrics), B.Econ, UQBS, Oxford Said Business School and London Business School alum.
Further information: Our working environment is collaborative and supportive. You will be made to feel welcome. Our team has multi-disciplinary experience across health, and we are passionate about research outcomes that can improve both the landscape of health and the outcomes of health for all Australians.
Interested applicants can contact Dr Sue McAvoy (s.mcavoy@uq.edu.au) for further information.