In taking the role, Prof Morris hopes to use his experience in health economics to contribute to a variety of policy-driven research, and provide strategic leadership to further develop health services research at the University of Cambridge.
Prof Morris says: “I am thrilled at the prospect of working in one of the world’s best universities, while at the same time collaborating closely with RAND Europe, with its expert focus on high-impact policy-relevant research and dissemination. This is an exciting opportunity and I am looking forward to bringing my skills and expertise in health economics to bear on both organisations.”
As part of the position, Prof Morris will join RAND Europe Chief Economist Jon Sussex as co-director of the Cambridge Centre for Health Services (CCHSR), a collaboration of researchers from RAND Europe and the University of Cambridge that conducts research to help inform policy on health services and systems.
“We are delighted to have Professor Morris join the CCHSR team. His wealth of experience across a range of health economics and health services research will bring great value to the collaboration. We anticipate working together on numerous policy-relevant research projects,” says Jon Sussex.
This announcement follows the appointment of Professor Mary Dixon-Woods, the previous RAND Professor, to the Health Foundation Professorship of Healthcare Improvement Studies, after a successful tenure of the post.
Prof Morris comes to the role from his position as Professor of Health Economics at University College London, where his recent research has evaluated the impact of centralising health services, the economics of rare diseases, and the costs of child maltreatment and domestic violence and abuse. Prof Morris is also co-Director of the Rapid Service Evaluation Team funded by the National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) Health Service and Delivery Research programme, and leads the Health Economics and Data Theme within the NIHR Children and Families Policy Research Unit.
Prof Morris will be starting his new position as RAND Professor and co-director of the Cambridge Centre for Health Services Research on 1 June 2019.