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About Us

Nicholas Graves

Nicholas Graves

Positions

  • Principal Research Fellow, Faculty of Health, QUT
  • Member, IHBI, QUT
  • Adjunct Associate Professor, University of Queensland

Contact Details

Phone
+61 7 3138 6115

Related websites and profiles

Qualifications

  • PhD Economics, University of London, London, 2001
    "Study of the Healthcare sector"
  • MA Health Services Studies, University of Leeds, London, 1993
  • BA Hons Economics & Economic History, University of Liverpool, London, 1992

Biography

Nicholas Graves is Professor of Health Economics with a joint appointment in the Institute of Biomedical and Health Innovation, School of Public Health, Queensland University of Technology and the Centre for Healthcare Related Infection Control and Surveillance, Queensland Health, Australia.

His applied research brings economics to the study of health-care.

He has a programme of research that uses Bayesian methods for the synthesis of diverse sources of data that are subsequently used to inform parameters in decision models that address questions about the value of competing investments in health care sector alternatives.

He supervises PhD students, teaches economics to post-graduate students and has made research contributions of international significance publishing in Nature, BMJ, AIDS, Health Economics, Lancet Infectious Diseases, The Journal of Infectious Diseases and Emerging Infectious Diseases.

Awards and grants

Grants

5 years National Health and Medical Research Council Centre for Research Excellence in Reducing Healthcare Associated Infection Nick Graves, David Paterson, Chris Baggoley, Thomas Riley, Graeme Nimmo, Ben Cooper, Andrew Wilson, Jenny Doust, Kerrie Mengersen, Martin Wolkewitz
3 years NHMRC Partnership Grants Evaluating hand hygiene interventions and their ability to reduce healthcare associated infection Nick Graves, Lindsay Grayson, David Paterson, Katie White, Nerina Jimmieson, Adrian Barnett, Naomi Fulop
2 years NHMRC Project Grant Modelling the cost-effectiveness of therapeutic strategies for invasive candidiasis among the ICU population Nick Graves, Tania sorrell, Geoffrey Playford, Adrian Barnett
2 years NHMRC Project Grant Building an evidence base for funding evidence-based medicine Adrian Barnett, Nick Graves, Philip Clarke
3 years NHMRC Project Grant Identifying a cost-effective approach to MRSA control in Australia Kate Halton, Julie Robotham, Graeme Nimmo, Adrian Barnett, Nick Graves, Jeff Lipman
2 years NHMRC Project Grant Economics and preventing healthcare-acquired intravascular device blood-stream infection Nick Graves, Peter Collignon, Michael Whitby, Diana Battistutta, Francis Birrell, Anthony Pettitt, Martyn Tilse
4 years NHMRC Project Grant Addressing Multiple Risk Factors in Primary Health and Community Care Settings:  a Cluster-Randomised Trial Elizabeth Eakin, Brian Oldenburg, Christopher Del Mar, Nick Graves
4 years NHMRC Project Grants Living Well with Diabetes:  Telephone Counselling for the Maintenance of Physical Activity, Weight Loss and Glycaemic Control in Type 2 Diabetes Elizabeth Eakin, Alison Marshall, David Dunstan, Marina Reeves, Nick Graves
3 years NHMRC Project Grant Depression and anxiety in working adults: the costs and outcomes of working while ill Kristy Sanderson, Brian Oldenburg, Jan Nicolson, Nick Graves
4 years NHMRC Project Grant Efficacy of an SMS delivered physical activity behaviour change program for women living in a disadvantaged community Alison Marshall, Nick Graves
4 years NHMRC Project Grant Intravascular device administrations sets:  Replacement after standard Versus Prolonged Use Claire Rickard, Nick Graves
3 years UK National Institutes for Health Research, Health Technology Assessment Programme Using evidence to reduce risk of healthcare acquired infection following primary hip replacement Nick Graves, Jennie Wilson, Alex Sutton, John Timperly, Kerrie Mengersen, Ross Crawford, David Paterson, Tony Berendt, Ben Cooper, David Murray, Graham Taylor
3 years UK National Institutes for Health Research, Health Technology Assessment Programme A systematic review and economic evaluation of the effectiveness and generality of education interventions for preventing catheter-related bloodstream infections in critical care Geoff Frampton, Jeremy Jones, Nick Graves
3 years UK National Institutes for Health Research, Health Technology Assessment Programme Model-based Evaluation and Cost-effectiveness Analysis of MRSA Intervention Ben Cooper, Nick Graves, John Edmunds
3 years Australian Research Council Futile treatment at the end of life:  legal, policy, sociological and economic perspectives Lindy Wilmott, Ben White, Cindy Gallois, Malcolm Parker, Nick graves, Sarah Winch
2 years ARC Pathways to healing:  determining effective care pathways for chronic wounds for timely healing, prevention and cost effectiveness Helen Edwards, Mary Courtney, Nick Graves
2 years ARC Work life after a diagnosis of breast, prostate and colorectoral cancer:  Major disruption or work as usual Louisa Gordon, Nick Graves

Research interests

Applied economics work on

  • nosocomial infection/healthcare-acquired-infection
  • screening for chronic and infectious disease
  • mental health and workplace productivity
  • changing health behaviour among high risk groups
  • the supply of blood products
  • complementary and alternative medicine
  • randomness and funding
  • the economics of bureaucracy


Methodology

  • modelling length of stay and hospital costs
  • using existing evidence to inform decison making
  • regulation and incentives for hospital administrators.

Current research projects

Healthcare associated infection, health behaviour change interventions, screening for infectious and chronic disease, blood policy, how research funding is allocated, the strange organisation of Universities

Top publications

  • Graves N, Barnett A, Clarke P. Funding grant proposals for scientific research: retrospective analysis of scores by members of grant review panel. BMJ (Clinical Research Edition). 2011; p1-8
  • Robotham J, Graves N, Cookson B, Barnett A, Wilson JA, Edgeworth J, Batra R, Cuthbertson BH, Cooper B. Screening, isolation, and decolonisation strategies in the control of meticillin resistant Staphylococcus aureus in intensive care units: cost effectiveness evaluation. BMJ (Clinical Research Edition). 2011; p1-13
  • Halton KA, Cook D, Paterson D, Safdar N, Graves N. Cost-effectiveness of a central venous catheter care bundle. PLoS ONE. 2010; p1-11
  • Graves N, Clare G, Haines M, Bird R. A policy case study of blood in Australia. Social Science and Medicine. 2010; p1677-1682
  • Barnett AG, Batra R, Graves N, Edgeworth J, Robotham J, Cooper B. Using a longitudinal model to estimate the effect of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus infection on length of stay in an intensive care unit. American Journal of Epidemiology. 2009; p1186-1194

Team

  • Adrian Barnett
  • Daniela Soloman
  • David Brain
  • Glenn Fulford
  • Helen McKenzie
  • Henry Zheng
  • Kate Halton
  • Katie Page
  • Megan Campbell
  • Mohinder Sarna
  • Quynh Nguyen
  • Rebecca Rashleigh-Rolls
  • Shirley Winters
  • Sonali Coulter

Collaborators

International collaboration

  • Professor Trish Perl from Department of Epidemiology, Bloomberg School of Hygiene, Johns Hopkins University on healthcare acquired infection.
  • Dr Lindsay Frazier from the Channing Laboratory, Harvard School of Public Health on the economics of screening for colorectal cancer.
  • Prof. David Lairson from the School of Public Health, University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, on healthcare-acquired infection.
  • Prof. Jennifer A. Roberts from The London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine Dr Diana Weinhold from the London School of Economics.
  • Dr Alex Sutton and Dr Nicola Cooper from the University of Leicester on Bayesian methods for evidence synthesis and decision-modelling
  • Dr John Edmunds and Dr Ben Cooper, both from the economics and modelling unit of the Health Protection Agency, UK.
  • Dr Damian Walker from the Johns Hopkins School of Public Health on HIV/AIDS.

Collaboration within QUT

  • Prof. Beth Newman on the economics of screening for colorectal cancer.
  • Prof. Michael Dunne on the capacity building for public health in Vietnam.
  • Prof. Sue Ash on the economic burden of pressure ulcers.
  • Prof. Mary Courtney on the economics of reducing unnecessary hospital admission.
  • Prof. Ross Crawford on surgical site infection following knee replacement.
  • Prof. Tony Pettit on novel statistical methods for modelling length of stay data.
  • Prof. Malcolm Faddy on novel statistical methods for modelling length of stay data.
  • Prof. Kerrie Mengersen on Bayesian methods for meta-analysis/decision-making.
  • Prof Zee Upton and Prof Helen Edwards on chronic wounds.

Collaboration within Australia

  • Prof. Tania Sorrell from University of Sydney & Dr Geoffrey Playford from UQ on the economics of managing risks of invasive Candida.
  • Prof. Peter Collignon from ANU/Canberra Hospital on the economics of reducing risks of catheter-related blood stream infections.
  • A/Prof. MaryLou McLaws from UNSW on post-discharge surgical site infection.
  • Prof. John Kaldor from UNSW on HIV/AIDS
  • Dr Leonie Callaway from RBWH on obesity and pregnancy
  • Dr Mary Haines from Sax Institute, Sydney on the economics of blood.
  • Dr Michael Whitby from UQ on all aspects of healthcare-acquired infection.
  • Prof Claire Rickard from Griffith University on catheter related line infections
  • Dr Louisa Gordon from QIMR on the economics of cancer recovery.
  • Prof. John Zeigler from Sydney Children’s Hospital on HIV/AIDS.
  • Prof. Paul Scuffham from Griffith University on economic evaluation methods.
  • Associate Prof. Elizabeth Eakin and Prof Neville Owen from UQ School of Population Health on the economics of interventions that change diet & exercise for high-risk groups.
  • Dr David Cook and Dr David Frankael from the Princess Alexandra Hospital and UQ on infection in ICU patients.
  • Prof Lindsay Grayson from Austin Hospital on Hand Hygiene Interventions
  • Prof David Paterson from UQ/RBWH on all aspects of healthcare acquired infection
  • Prof Philip Clarke from University of Melbourne; Health Economics Training and Capacity building in Australia
  • A/Prof Stephen Jan from George Institute on HERMES. A NHMRC Capacity Building Grant (2009-13)

Professional memberships and associations

Current Johnson & Johnson Global Infection Prevention Advisory Board
2004 - NHMRC Grant Review Panel Member
2011 PBAC Visiting Member of Economic Sub Committee for Pharmaceutical Benefits Advisory Committee
2011 MSAC Member of Protocol Advisory Services Committee for Medical Servicers Advisory Committee
2012 - Healthcare Associated Infection Advisory Committee:  Australian Commission on Safety and Quality in Health Care
2011- Member of the Australian Prostate Cancer Research Centre - Queensland:  Developing Health Economics Projects
2008-2011 Section Editor for BMC Health Services Research
Current
Member of Editorial Board for Infection Control and Hospital Epidemiology, Healthcare Infections, Journal of Multidisciplinary Healthcare and Clinical Audit
Current member of Panel of Providers of Health Economics Services for Australian Government:  Department of Health and Ageing
Current Member of college of Experts for National Institutes for Health Research, England & Wales
Current Member of Expert Advisory Panel of Applied Research (EAPAR) for Office of Health and Medical Research, QLD Health
2012- Chair of IHBI Post-Graduate Student Committee