Ros Plowman

Dr Ros Plowman is an Associate Professor in the Department of Health Services Research and Policy within the Faculty of Public Health and Policy at the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine. She currently serves as Programme Director for the PgDip, PgCert, and MSc Public Health Distance Learning Programme (2006-present) and previously directed the Health Systems Management Distance Learning Programme (2004-2010).

Her educational background spans both clinical nursing and academic research, with a BA in Human Sciences from Oxford (1989-1992), an MSc in Health Planning and Financing from LSHTM (1992-1993), and a PhD on the Socio-Economic Burden of Hospital Acquired Infections (2004). Before her academic career, she worked extensively as a nurse in various London hospitals and in Zimbabwe.

Dr Plowman's research primarily focuses on health economics, particularly the economic burden of hospital-acquired infections and cost-effectiveness of infection prevention strategies. Her work also extends to public health education, with recent publications examining student engagement in distance learning programs. She has developed economic models for urinary tract infections prevention and day case surgery evaluation, contributing significantly to evidence-based healthcare policy.

Her publication record shows a clear evolution from clinical nursing research in the early 1990s toward health economics and policy analysis. The most recent publications (2019-2014) focus on educational methods in public health, while her seminal work from 2000-2006 established her expertise in healthcare-associated infections economics. She has contributed to national guidelines through the epic project and has published in high-impact journals including BMJ and Journal of Hospital Infection.

Dr Plowman serves as a peer reviewer for the Journal of Hospital Infection and has been a Faculty Teaching Representative for Programme Module Review (2018-2022). Her work has been referenced in multiple policy documents and clinical guidelines, demonstrating its impact on healthcare practice.