Alison Pearce

Associate Professor Alison Pearce is a health economist leading the Health Economics Stream at the Daffodil Centre, a joint venture between the University of Sydney and Cancer Council NSW. Based at the Sydney School of Public Health, she specializes in cancer economics, discrete choice experiments, and measuring productivity loss. Her research aims to improve cancer care through evidence-based decision making.

Dr. Pearce completed her PhD on chemotherapy side effects at the Centre for Health Economics Research and Evaluation (CHERE) at UTS in 2013, following occupational therapy training. Her career includes postdoctoral work at Ireland's National Cancer Registry and a Chancellor's Postdoctoral Research Fellowship at UTS.

Her research focuses on the economics of cancer, patient preferences, productivity loss measurement (including unpaid work), and anxiety/depression in cancer patients. She has extended this to occupational therapy economics and health services research. Recent work emphasizes discrete choice experiments to understand patient preferences, AI in cancer screening, and economic evaluations of cancer interventions.

Dr. Pearce's recent publications reveal a strong focus on patient-centered health economics research, particularly using discrete choice experiments to understand cancer treatment preferences. Her work spans methodological developments in economic evaluation, practical applications in cancer care, and international collaborations examining productivity loss across different healthcare systems.

Her scientific awards include:

• 2021 Sydney Cancer Conference 3rd Prize for Best Mini-oral presentation
• 2018 HSRAANZ Best Health Services and Policy Research paper
• 2016 HESG Best Poster Presentation Award
• 2015 MASCC Young Investigator of the Year Award
• 2015 ISPOR Best New Investigator Podium Presentation Award

Dr. Pearce coordinates Introduction to Health Economics and Health Policy (HPOL5000) in the Master of Public Health program and supervises three PhD students and multiple Master's students. She has received multiple research grants, including funding from the National Breast Cancer Foundation, NHMRC, and Department of Health. Her international collaborations span Brazil, Russia, Ireland, Canada, France, and the UK, reflecting the global impact of her health economics research.