Rupendra Shrestha

Assoc Prof Rupendra Shrestha is an applied statistician specializing in microsimulation models for health economics research at the University of Sydney. He focuses on societal costs of chronic illnesses, genetic disorders, and cost-effectiveness of genomic sequencing. His work bridges statistical methods with healthcare policy, emphasizing productivity loss and economic impacts. Active in interdisciplinary projects like the Australian Reproductive Carrier Screen Project and studies on mitochondrial diseases, he collaborates globally on economic analyses of healthcare interventions. His research outputs span cost-benefit analyses of genetic screening, chronic pain management trials, and microsimulation studies projecting economic burdens of diseases. Key areas include healthcare policy, rare disease economics, and caregiver economic impacts.

Recent projects include assessing costs of heat waves on health (2020–2022), national productivity impacts of chronic illness (2020–2024), and genomic sequencing cost-effectiveness. He leads the MRFF-funded A3BC for Kids initiative (2024–2029). His 2024 publications highlight cost-effectiveness of carrier screening, mitochondrial disease hospitalization drivers, and adolescent risk behavior impacts on education. Awards and grants include Medical Research Future Fund awards totaling $20M for carrier screening projects. His work emphasizes translating economic insights into health policy and clinical practice.

• Key Projects: Australian Reproductive Carrier Screen Project ($20M MRFF), Heat Wave Health Costs (2020–2022)
• Grants: MRFF, NHMRC, and industry-funded initiatives