Michael Schlander

Michael Schlander is a full professor of health economics at the University of Heidelberg and Head of the Division of Health Economics at the German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ) since January 2017. He is also the founding Chairman and Scientific Director of the Institute for Innovation & Valuation in Health Care (InnoVal-HC), established in 2005. Additionally, he serves as an associate professor at the Alfred Weber Institute for Economics (AWI) at Heidelberg University since 2020. His expertise spans health economics, health technology assessment (HTA), pharmaceutical economics, and cancer research. He has held leadership roles in global initiatives, including the OECI Task Force on Socioeconomic Impact Research and the German Society for Health Economics (DGGOe). His research focuses on cost-effectiveness analysis, rare diseases, and healthcare policy, with contributions to understanding the socioeconomic impact of cancer and pandemic-related healthcare challenges.

Education: Studied medicine and psychology at the University of Frankfurt (M.D. summa cum laude, 1985), MBA from City University Seattle (1994), diploma in health economics from Stockholm School of Economics (2002), and venia legendi (habilitation) in health economics from Heidelberg University (2007). Prior to academia, he held executive roles in the biopharmaceutical industry for 15 years.

Research Interests: Includes HTA, cost-effectiveness, drug development economics, and equity in healthcare access. His work emphasizes translating economic analyses into actionable policies, particularly for rare diseases and cancer care. Recent projects address the socioeconomic burden of cancer on patients and the role of patient-reported outcomes (PROs) in evaluating interventions.

Publications and Awards: Over 50 peer-reviewed articles, including high-impact papers in Lancet Oncology, Pharmacoeconomics, and Value in Health. Recipient of the ISPOR Distinguished Service Award (2012) and Best Contributed Poster Presentation Award (2005). Active in editorial roles for Frontiers in Health Services and Zeitschrift für medizinische Ethik.

Grants and Collaborations: Leads international initiatives such as the OECI Task Force and the Heidelberg Health Economics Summer School. Engaged with global organizations like UICC and HTAi. Advocates for evidence-based decision-making in healthcare resource allocation.

Labs/Teams: Directs the DKFZ Division of Health Economics and co-founded the InnoVal-HC, focusing on applied health economics and valuation research.