Student Opportunities

We are seeking a PhD student with an interest in health economics and frailty.

Frailty is a state of increased vulnerability to functional decline, dependence and/or death arising from impairment of many body functions. Frailty is associated with increased risk of significant clinical events (e.g. fracture and depression) leading to hospitalisation and use of aged care services and loss of independence—a key component of quality of life in older people. It is expected that 4 million Australians will be frail by 2050.

There is emerging evidence that frailty can be prevented, halted or reversed in some people. There is an urgent need to develop and evaluate interventions to prevent, delay and manage frailty with the potential for important benefits for older people and health services. To inform public funding decisions, where the overall budget situation is ‘tight’, it will be necessary to demonstrate that these interventions provide value for money.

For this project you will be part of the NHMRC Centre of Research Excellence in Frailty and Healthy Ageing at the University of Adelaide. The project will use major longitudinal datasets to assess the costs and health effects of frailty and to further develop a cost-effectiveness model to identify high-value interventions and programs targeted at prevention, delay or management of frailty.

For further information please contact: Professor Jon Karnon

Phone: 8313 3562