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Meet the team with the best health data and economics expertise to improve health systems

Meet the BMJ TAG team

The BMJ Technology Assessment Group (BMJ-TAG) conducts health research for a range of institutions. Their work has led to some revolutionary changes in the way patients receive treatment through the UK’s National Health Service (NHS).  

Our research and expertise can likely benefit your practice or institution, so contact us today to find out how.

CONTACT THE TAG TEAM 

 

  • Dr Steve Edwards DPhil MSc BSc (Hons)

    Director of Health Technology Assessment (HTA)

  • Dr Victoria Wakefield MBChB

    Clinical Evidence Manager

  • Nicole Downes BSc (Hons

    Senior Clinical Evidence Analyst

  • Dr Ben Farrar PhD MA (Cantab)

    Senior Clinical Evidence Analyst

  • Melina Vasileiou

    Clinical Evidence Analyst

  • Tracey Jhita MSc BSc (Hons)

    Health Economics Manager

  • Mariana Bacelar MSc BSc

    Content Manager

  • Kate Ennis MSc BA

    Senior Health Economist

  • Isaac Mackenzie MSc MA (Hons)

    Health Economist

  • Archie Walters MSc BSc (Hons)

    Health Economist

Dr Steve Edwards DPhil MSc BSc (Hons)

Director of Health Technology Assessment (HTA)

Steve joined the BMJ to establish the BMJ-TAG, contributing significantly since April 2011. His leadership has guided the group in aiding national decision-making processes by undertaking vital research projects for esteemed organisations like NICE, NIHR, and Health Improvement Scotland.



Steve's extensive involvement spans conducting systematic reviews and health economic evaluations across diverse therapeutic domains, encompassing cardiovascular, CNS, gastroenterology, infection, oncology, and respiratory medicine. His core focus lies in leveraging the finest available evidence to inform decision-making strategies, with particular emphasis on refining the design and execution of clinical trials, systematic reviews, meta-analyses, and network meta-analyses. This evidence-driven approach extends to economic evaluations, where Steve specialises in their effective utilization.



At the University of Oxford, Steve pursued postgraduate research dedicated to this domain, culminating in the prestigious honour of being conferred the first doctorate of evidence-based health care. His expertise extends beyond the BMJ, as he holds the position of Honorary Senior Lecturer in the Faculty of Public Health and Policy at the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine.



Steve's influence within key committees is noteworthy, contributing as a member of NICE Technology Appraisal Committee A and the Cochrane Statistical Methods Group. Additionally, he actively participates in the Campbell & Cochrane Economics Methods Group, emphasizing his commitment to shaping and refining methodologies within these domains.



Formerly, Steve served as a respected member of the NICE Diagnostics Advisory Committee from 2013 to 2018, further testament to his impactful contributions within the field.



Dr Victoria Wakefield MBChB

Clinical Evidence Manager

Vicky brings a rich clinical background, encompassing general surgery, general medicine, general practice, pediatrics, and orthopedic surgery. Her expertise extends to being a seasoned systematic reviewer, lending her insights to publications covering diverse clinical areas and guidelines.



Her proficiency includes employing clinical audit methodologies to evaluate and enhance current practices in both primary and secondary care settings. Since 2010, Vicky has been actively engaged in Health Technology Assessment, demonstrating her adeptness in diagnostic technology assessments and medical therapeutics.



Her passions lie in the realms of public health and translational medicine, reflecting her specialised interests and commitment to advancing these pivotal fields.

Nicole Downes BSc (Hons

Senior Clinical Evidence Analyst

Nicole, an adept systematic reviewer, transitioned to BMJ-TAG following an impactful four-year tenure at the National Guideline Centre. Her contributions there focused on shaping NICE guidelines across diverse disease areas such as cardiovascular disease, neurodegenerative disease, gastrointestinal conditions, and trauma.



Her experience at the National Guideline Centre sharpened her expertise in various systematic review types, including intervention, diagnostic, prognostic, and qualitative reviews. This tenure equipped her with a robust comprehension of essential systematic reviewing methodologies and research techniques, amplifying her proficiency in the field.

Dr Ben Farrar PhD MA (Cantab)

Senior Clinical Evidence Analyst

Ben brings a wealth of expertise in statistics, systematic reviews, and evidence synthesis to BMJ-TAG. His prior experience includes a significant role in systematic reviews and statistical analysis within a medical consultancy. Preceding this, he earned a PhD in psychology, directing his research toward evidence synthesis, bias, and statistical inference in scientific investigations.



His academic pursuits led him to share insights at international conferences, focusing on research methodologies. Ben's specialised interest lies in cultivating robust and reproducible evidence synthesis methods and advancing the precision of statistical inference techniques.

Melina Vasileiou

Clinical Evidence Analyst

Come back to read Melina's biography soon!

Tracey Jhita MSc BSc (Hons)

Health Economics Manager

Tracey, a distinguished health economist, specialises in economic modelling and public health. Her portfolio boasts several prominent economic evaluations of health interventions, policies, and strategies for esteemed entities like NICE, the NHS, and the European Commission.



Her technical abilities encompasses the development of comprehensive cost-benefit analyses utilizing decision and Markov modelling techniques. Tracey's vast expertise also spans preventive interventions targeting cardiovascular disease and initiatives aimed at enhancing social, emotional, and mental well-being. Her contributions have made a significant impact in shaping health strategies and policies.

Mariana Bacelar MSc BSc

Content Manager

Mariana holds a BSc in Economics and an MSc in Health Economics. Before her tenure at the BMJ Technology Assessment Group, she played a pivotal role in conceptualising and crafting Public Health economic models for influential bodies like NICE and the European Commission. Her expertise extends to providing health economics advisory services to diverse organisations, including not-for-profit entities.



Since 2013, Mariana has actively contributed to Health Technology Assessment, focusing particularly on health economics modelling and the execution of HTA programmes across various nations. Notably, she recently contributed to a significant project in Brazil, instrumental in shaping the country's HTA programmes. Her commitment to implementing impactful HTA initiatives underscores her dedication to advancing healthcare globally.

Kate Ennis MSc BA

Senior Health Economist

Kate holds a BA in Economics and an MSc in Economics and Health Economics from the University of Sheffield. Prior to her tenure at BMJ-TAG, she contributed her expertise as a health economic modeler within the ScHARR-TAG team for four years. Kate's career journey also includes roles as a health economist across various academic institutions since 2012.



Her focus has been assessing the cost-effectiveness of diverse disease areas, encompassing non-small cell lung cancer, cardiomyopathy, sepsis, and encephalitis. Kate's dedication and experience have significantly contributed to evaluating and shaping health economic strategies within these critical medical domains.

Isaac Mackenzie MSc MA (Hons)

Health Economist

Isaac holds an MA in Economics and an MSc in Health Economics and Econometrics. With nearly three years' experience at a health economics consultancy, he primarily focused on collaborating with pharmaceutical companies for submissions to HTA bodies. Isaac's expertise lies in developing intricate economic models and crafting comprehensive documentation to support these submissions.



His involvement spanned a range of treatments targeting oesophageal cancer, HIV, ulcerative colitis, and atrial fibrillation. Isaac also contributed significantly to innovative model development initiatives and played a key role in ensuring the quality and accuracy of his colleagues' projects and submissions.

Archie Walters MSc BSc (Hons)

Health Economist

Before joining the BMJ Technology Assessment Group, Archie made significant contributions at the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine within the Health Services Research and Policy department. His pivotal research during the onset of the covid pandemic involved economic evaluations concerning the spectrum of NHS services offered to covid patients post-hospitalisation. Archie's work was instrumental in guiding rapidly evolving health policies during this critical period.



Archie holds an MSc in Health Economics, complementing his academic foundation in Neuroscience with specialised expertise in developing and critically assessing decision models. His focus centres on leveraging these models to address real-world challenges and facilitate informed decision-making processes.