Health Economics and Outcomes Research & Medical Affairs Fellowship

Overview & Purpose

The Health Economics and Outcomes Research & Medical Affairs Fellowship program provides training and hands-on experience in a broad range of health economics and outcomes research areas in addition to gaining experience within Medical Affairs such as Medical Communications and Field Medical Affairs. This 2-year program is structured to allow the Fellow to gain proficiency in HEOR and while acquiring Medical Affairs expertise across multiple areas of pharmaceutical industry. Both years of the fellowship will be in Pittsburgh, PA.

The objective of the first year is to provide the didactic foundation of principles and methods used in HEOR. Concurrently, the Fellow will participate in ongoing outcomes research projects at the School of Pharmacy as well as with clinical pharmacists and health care professionals at University of Pittsburgh Medical Center (UPMC) with the goal of independently leading research projects at the conclusion of their first year. In the second year, the Fellow will join Indivior to complete rotations across various disciplines including Real-World Evidence, Medical Affairs, and Medical Communications. The Fellow will have the opportunity to lead projects, support the Real-World Evidence team, and apply skills gained as part of their didactic and pharmacy training. The Fellow will support Indivior’s Real World Evidence team in HEOR projects and gain experience in how a pharmaceutical manufacturer uses clinical, economic, and humanistic data to support the development and commercialization of products across various therapeutic areas.

University of Pittsburgh School of Pharmacy / UMPC (1st year)

At the School of Pharmacy, the Fellow will have the opportunity to earn an online Master of Science in PharmacoAnalytics – Pharmaceutical Outcomes Research. This program provides students with the tools and skills necessary to analyze large, healthcare datasets and apply data analytic and pharmacoepidemiology concepts to enhance pharmaceutical use and outcomes. A key feature of this program is competency-based learning, which requires students to demonstrate the application of didactic learning through hands-on analysis of real-world data and evidence. Students will develop core competencies related to study design, data collection, data management, data organization, data analysis, and data visualization/communication.

Additionally, the Fellow will have the opportunity to apply didactic skills as they conduct various research projects in the School of Pharmacy and UPMC, first as a contributing member and then as the principal investigator. Project scope will depend on the Fellow’s interest and may range from pharmacoepidemiology, pharmacoeconomics, and cost-effectiveness modeling. They will have access to a wide range of data to conduct research including but not limited to UPMC EHR data. The Fellow will also engage in ongoing projects with Indivior to apply skills gained in pharmacy training and statistical methods.

Indivior (2^nd Year)

In the 2^nd year of the fellowship, the fellow will continue and complete research with Pitt Pharmacy and UPMC faculty. Additionally, the fellow will work on their MS thesis that will be defended in March.

Primarily, the fellow will work with Indivior and complete four rotations in the 2^nd year. One with the Real World Evidence team, one with the Medical Communications team, one with the Field Medical team, and one elective rotation that will align with the fellow’s career path and interests.

Learning Objectives

Develop core competencies related to study design, data organization, data analysis, and data visualization/communication
Gain experience in varying areas of industry including: HEOR/RWE, Medical Communications, and Medical Affairs
Prepare the fellow for a successful career in industry, consulting, or academia

Eligibility

Eligible candidates must have a doctorate in pharmacy or the combination of an undergraduate degree in pharmacy plus an advanced degree in health services research, public health, health policy, pharmacy, economics, medicine, or other related area. Experience in, or at a minimum, exposure to some aspect of outcomes research, health economics, or another related field of research is preferred.