Professor Deborah Fitzsimmons, PhD, BN (Hons), RN

Deb Fitzsimmons is Professor and Director, Swansea Centre for Health Economics at Swansea University.

Having spent her early career as a clinical and research nurse, she worked in the field of patient reported outcome measurement (PROMs) at the University of Southampton before moving into the field of health economics when she joined Swansea University in 2004.

Her methodological interests remain in PROMs. She has particular interests in the design of health economic evaluation and translating analysis into delivering high quality, meaningful evidence to inform health care decision making and practice. Deb collaborates widely across Wales, UK and Europe and has received funding from National Institute for Health Research, Department of Health, Health and Care Research Wales, charities and industry.

Specific to wound healing, she has led the economic evaluation of several trials related to the management of diabetic foot ulcers with colleagues across the UK. She has contributed to a number of decision making and funding bodies including New Medicines Group, NICE, Health and Care Research Wales and National Institute for Health Research.

Her current research profile as lead/co-applicant is over £6million and she has published over 100 papers. Deb is Co-Director of Health and Care Economics Cymru, an All-Wales Community of Health Economics Expertise to lead and support world class health economics research for Wales. Deb holds a Senior Research Leader Award from Health and Care Research Wales