Brenda Gannon

Professor Brenda Gannon is an international interdisciplinary leader in health economics and social care systems at the University of Queensland. She holds a primary appointment as Professor in the School of Economics within the Faculty of Business, Economics and Law, and is also an Affiliate Professor at the Mater Research Institute and affiliate of multiple health research centers including the Queensland Digital Health Centre and the Centre for Hearing Research. Her work bridges economics, medicine, and social science to develop evidence-based solutions for health systems globally.

Professor Gannon's research spans several interconnected domains: health economics of aging and dementia care, mental health services, health equity analysis, and economic evaluations of healthcare interventions across the lifespan from newborns to older adults. Her work particularly focuses on cognitive impairment, physical activity investments, consumer-directed care models, and the social determinants of health. She employs sophisticated econometric methods to analyze big data and test causal hypotheses in healthcare utilization and outcomes.

Her 15 most recent publications (2022-2025) demonstrate a strong focus on health equity, cost-effectiveness analyses, and interventions across diverse populations. Her research spans pediatric critical care, women's reproductive health, dementia care, heart failure management, and perinatal mental health. A notable pattern is her application of health economics principles to evaluate interventions across the lifespan, with particular emphasis on vulnerable populations and health disparities.

• Fellow of the Queensland Academy of Arts and Sciences (2023)
• Council Member of Queensland Academy of Arts and Sciences (since 2024)
• Award-winning HDR supervisor with successful mentorship of students into academia and industry

Professor Gannon has supervised multiple PhD students as principal and associate advisor, with completed theses focusing on applied health economics, aging, and microeconometrics. Her current research is supported by significant grants from the Australian Research Council, National Health and Medical Research Council, Medical Research Future Fund, EU Horizon 2020, and other international funding bodies. She serves on the International Health Economics Association Student Prize Committee (2025-28) and has advised government at senior levels, including serving on the Medical Services Advisory Committee Evaluation Sub-Committee (2017-2021).

As Health Economics and Epidemiology lead for the Queensland Family Cohort Study and member of the QFC Governance Committee, she contributes to major population health initiatives. Her work with clinicians on trials for newborns and interventions for dementia care demonstrates her commitment to translational research that bridges academic findings with practical healthcare applications.