Helen Mason is a Professor of Health Economics working primarily in the area of Economic Evaluation. 

Helen’s main research interest is in the development and use of methodologies to measure the benefits of health care. In 2007 she was awarded a PhD from Newcastle University in which she developed methods to estimate the monetary value of QALYs. Helen has expertise in a variety of valuation and preference elicitation methods including Willingness to Pay, Standard Gamble and Time Trade Off. 

During her doctoral work, Helen became interested in the use of Q methodology to investigate the preferences of members of the public for health care priority setting. Her interest in Q methodology has continued and she has completed or supervised Q studies in the areas of end of life care for people with Dementia, young people and the transition to adult secondary care, and the views of people receiving treatment for substance use.

A major focus of Helen’s recent work has been on the development of survey methods linked to Q methodology. She has completed a MRC funded project along with colleagues at GCU, NHS GGC and Erasmus University used Q methodology and Q survey techniques to investigate societal perspectives on the relative value of life-extending treatments for people with terminal illnesses. 

Helen leads the Economic Evaluation theme of work and supports the economic component of a large number of clinical trials funded by the National Institute for Health Research.