Project Description
The studentship is offered as part of the TB Sequel funded Research Task on the Socio- economic consequences and Economic evaluation of interventions for TB and post-TB lung disease. To complement the other aims of this research task, we seek a full-time PhD student in health economics modelling. The proposed project will leverage the existing TB Sequel study database and include TB Sequel II data as it becomes available. The PhD student will take on a range of key epidemiological and economic modelling questions around post-TB to build skills in these areas. The studentship provides an excellent development opportunity for individuals with strong mathematical skills who are interested in applying these skills to infectious disease modelling, and individuals with epidemiological training who want to develop mathematical modelling skills.

Research Environment
Health Economics and Epidemiology Research Office (HE2RO) is a division of the Wits Health Consortium. HE2RO is a research unit founded in 2004 under the auspices of the Faculty of Health Sciences at the University of the Witwatersrand in Johannesburg. It undertakes applied economic and epidemiological analysis to generate relevant, practical information for policymakers and program managers. The Johannesburg-based HE2RO team with expertise in epidemiology, health economics, data management, and quantitative and qualitative research methods will host the student. The student will work closely with TB Sequel and HE2RO staff and will work with Assoc. Prof Denise Evans, the lead of TB Sequel’s Socio-economic Research Task. The student will be registered through the School of Public Health at Wits University (https://www.wits.ac.za/publichealth/). For more information visit www.heroza.org and https://www.tbsequel.org/.
The TB Modelling Group at London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine (LSHTM) is a multidisciplinary group of mathematical modellers and epidemiologists with varying backgrounds in physics, mathematics, biomedical sciences and biology. The focus of the research group is to use mathematical and statistical models to better understand the natural history and epidemiology of TB and improve the contribution of the TB modelling to policy decisions and implementation. Two world-renowned TB modellers, Asst. Professor Sedona Sweeney and Professor Rein Houben, will mentor and supervise the PhD student.

Funding
Funding for this 3.5 year fellowship will cover tuition fees at Wits University, a student stipend of R250 000 per annum, and two study visits to LSHTM in the UK. This is a full-time position, however the student may carry out other funded work at HE2RO to a maximum of 10 hours week to gain additional relevant skills or experience.