The Team
A community of practice in public health modelling.
Our Philosophy: Watch One, Do One, Teach One
The STAPM platform is powered by a team of 10+ researchers and software engineers. We don’t operate in silos; instead, we follow a collaborative apprenticeship model that ensures our technical expertise is resilient and shared.
- Watch One: New researchers join existing projects to observe the modular assembly of models and our version-control governance.
- Do One: With the support of the communal infrastructure, researchers lead their own policy appraisals, contributing new code back to the platform.
- Teach One: Experienced modellers mentor the next cohort, ensuring that the “engine” of our evidence remains robust as the team evolves.
Principal Investigators
The STAPM ecosystem is directed by a multidisciplinary team of world-leading experts in health economics, systems science, and behavioral modelling.
Alan Brennan
Professor of Health Economics Alan provides strategic oversight for the platform, ensuring that our models remain aligned with national health priorities and the highest standards of economic rigour.
Robin Purshouse
Professor of Decision Sciences Robin leads the integration of Agent-Based Modelling (ABM) within the platform, bringing world-class expertise in simulating complex social systems and individual-level decision making.
Hazel Squires
Professor of Health-Related Decision Modelling Hazel leads our work on Behavioral Complexity, developing conceptual frameworks that allow our models to account for the intricate ways people respond to interventions.
Duncan Gillespie
Senior Research Fellow Duncan is the architect of the STAPM modular infrastructure and leads the transition toward joint tobacco and vaping simulation.
Colin Angus
Professor of Alcohol Policy Colin is the leading expert in alcohol policy modelling. He oversees the development of alcohol-specific modules and ensures the platform maintains its world-leading reputation.
Damon Morris
Research Fellow Damon leads the price modelling work, specialising in the intersection of fiscal policy, consumption, and economic productivity.
Early Career Researchers & Core Contributors
Our ECRs are the primary architects of the specific research projects housed within the STAPM platform. They lead the development of new model components, data linkages, and policy appraisals.
Grace Leeming Research Assistant Developing new modelling for no and low alcohol products.
Ryan Kai Le Chen Research Assistant Developing new modelling to understand the impact of price changes on tobacco and alcohol consumption.
Dr Charlotte Head Research Associate Developing local geographic versions of the alcohol and tobacco modelling.
Dr Maria Hanini Research Associate Developing new modelling for no and low alcohol products.
Dr Ellen McGrane Research Associate Developing a conceptual roadmap for integrated modelling of alcohol harm prevention policies and alcohol dependence treatment.
Esther Moore Research Associate Developing cost-effectiveness modelling for e-cigarettes as smoking cessation aids.
Calum Lewis PhD Student Developing a new youth nicotine policy model.
Shangshang Gu Research Associate Developing the agent based model of smoking.
Students & Prospective Researchers
The STAPM platform provides a unique environment for students to gain hands-on experience with modern, high-impact policy modelling.
MSc Dissertations
We regularly host students from the MSc in Health Economics and Decision Modelling (HEDM) for their dissertation projects. Students benefit from using our pre-validated data pipelines, allowing them to focus on innovative policy questions rather than building a model from scratch.
Prospective PhD Students
We welcome enquiries from students interested in doctoral research in public health economics, tobacco and alcohol policy, or complex system simulation. Doing a PhD within the STAPM ecosystem means your work contributes to a “living” model used by national governments. We are happy to discuss research proposals and support strong candidates in applying for funding.