Stirling Bryan CV- Click Here!
Stirling Bryan: Many IHEA members may know me as a co-editor for the Wiley journal, Health Economics. I am also a Professor at the University of British Columbia and Chief Scientific Officer for Michael Smith Health Research BC, British Columbia’s provincial health research agency. My career spans over 35 years at the intersection of health economics, evidence-informed policy, and health-system decision-making.Â
My academic journey began in the United Kingdom, where I held economist positions at St Thomas’ Hospital Medical School, Brunel University, and later the University of Birmingham. During this period, I was closely engaged with the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE), contributing economic evidence to support technology coverage decisions. In 2005, I was awarded a Commonwealth Fund Harkness Fellowship and spent a year at Stanford University, studying U.S. approaches to technology coverage decision-making.
In 2008, I immigrated to Canada, joining UBC as Professor and serving for a decade as Director of the Centre for Clinical Epidemiology and Evaluation. I continue to lead an active health economics research lab at the Centre. Over the past decade, recognizing myself as a settler on Indigenous lands, I have become a strong advocate for Indigenous reconciliation, and seek to partner in my research with Indigenous scholars. My current projects are focused on genomics and precision medicine, including the cost-effectiveness of pharmacogenomic testing for depression.
My engagement with IHEA spans many years as an active member, conference presenter, session chair, and discussant. I attended the inaugural IHEA conference in Vancouver in 1997 and still remember Uwe Reinhardt’s inspirational plenary address. Since then, I have attended all but two IHEA meetings and recently acted as discussant in the early-career researcher sessions at the Cape Town and Bali meetings. In parallel, I have provided leadership nationally as President of the Canadian Association for Health Services and Policy Research (CAHSPR), where I worked to build interdisciplinary bridges across the research, policy, and practice communities.
I am standing for election to the IHEA Board as the Northern American representative because I believe the Association has a vital role, particularly at this time, in defending economic science, fostering equity and diversity in our field, and supporting global connectedness. My professional life has focused on bridging the research–policy divide and is characterized by my personal commitments to mentorship and fairness. I would bring these same perspectives and values to the IHEA Board. If elected, I would advocate for expanding opportunities for early- and mid-career health economists, strengthening North American engagement in global IHEA activities, and fostering collaborations that ensure economic evidence influences real-world health decisions in a fair and equitable way.
Now for my closing pitch. I bring strategic leadership, policy experience, and a commitment to collaboration. I have worked across three health systems – the U.K., the U.S., and Canada – and I understand the challenges and opportunities facing our discipline globally. I would be honoured to represent North American health economists and help IHEA continue to thrive as an inclusive, equity-focused and impactful global community.