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LSE announces new Department of Health Policy

Our research will address the public health and health care challenges of the 21st century
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LSE Old Building

The London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE) has launched a new Department of Health Policy, consolidating the School’s existing work and building on its teaching and expertise in the Health Policy field.

LSE already runs one of the largest cohort of health related post-graduate programmes in the world, with six master’s programmes and 300 students on campus at any one time. The School’s investment in a dedicated Health Policy department, signals their commitment to further growth in the field, across both teaching and research activities.

The new department will build on LSE’s burgeoning Global Health research programme which has seen the recruitment of a number of Global Health experts as well as playing a leading role in the launch of a new School-wide Global Health research initiative. It will also house LSE’s four existing health related research Centres and programmes: LSE Health, the Personal Social Services Research Unit (PSSRU), the National Institute for Health Research School for Social Care Research (SSCR) and the European Observatory on Health Systems and Policies.

Commenting on the new department, LSE’s Interim Director Professor Julia Black said: “The launch of LSE’s new Health Policy department will provide even more opportunities for the School to exploit the growth in health research funding and the demand for health-related teaching. The School has a world-leading reputation in this field, and I have no doubt that this prestigious development will enhance our global standing even further, as well as helping us to continue delivering a positive societal impact in addressing the many health care challenges of the modern world.”

Professor Elias Mossialos, incoming Head of the new Department of Health Policy added: “I am delighted to welcome this new development which builds on the existing strength and reputation of LSE in health policy and health economics and consolidates our role as a leading academic player in the field.

“The new Department will work to advance, transmit and sustain knowledge and understanding of health policy, health economics and health services research through its multidisciplinary research, teaching and public policy engagement programs. Our research will address the public health and health care challenges of the 21st century, to advance population health both nationally and internationally.”

The LSE Department of Health Policy will continue to expand international research and teaching links, building on LSE’s existing partnerships with Fudan University and the National Centre for Cardiovascular Disease in China, Chicago’s Harris School of Public Policy in the US, NICE in the UK and the European Society of Cardiology with whom the School already run an executive Master’s in Health Economics, Outcomes and Management in Cardiovascular Sciences. LSE and Chicago will launch the first transatlantic Master’s in Health Policy in 2018 and further growth in graduate teaching offerings is anticipated. Plans are also in place to launch a new undergraduate programme in Healthcare Management, which would be one of the first in the country.

The department will also continue to build on its diverse research agenda which includes: global health governance; the economics of social care; pandemic disease and health security; the politics of health and the use of evidence to inform health policy; cost-effectiveness research on mental health promotion and mental illness prevention; incentives to develop new antibiotics and medicines for neglected diseases; modelling costs and outcomes for dementia interventions; and measuring the value of new cancer drugs.   

Behind the article

LSE Health
LSE Health is a research centre affiliated with the Departments of Social Policy, Management and Accounting. The Centre's unique research base contributes to the LSE's established world presence and reputation in health policy, health economics and demography.
 
PSSRU
The Personal Social Services Research Unit (PSSRU) is one of the leading social care research groups, not just in the UK, but internationally. Since its establishment in 1974, it has had considerable impact on national social care policy in the UK and in a number of other countries.

SSCR
The NIHR School for Social Care Research is one of the leading funders of research into adult social care practice in England, and aims to improve adult social care practice in England through conducting and commissioning research.

European Observatory on Health Systems and Policies
The European Observatory on Health Systems and Policies supports and promotes evidence-based health policy-making through comprehensive and rigorous analysis of the dynamics of health care systems in Europe.  

The Observatory is a partnership that includes the Governments of Austria, Belgium, Finland, Ireland, Norway, Slovenia, Sweden, Switzerland and the United Kingdom; the Veneto Region of Italy; the French National Union of Health Insurance Funds (UNCAM); the World Health Organization; the European Commission; the World Bank; the London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE); and the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine (LSHTM). The partnership is hosted by the WHO Regional Office for Europe.