Key Skills

Job Description

Job Description Approximately half of the Asian population is infected with H. pylori. Although most infections remain asymptomatic, H. pylori can lead to gastric cancer. To reduce the burden of gastric cancer, Taiwan recently introduced a screening program in which individuals are tested and treated if positive. Previously, the cost-effectiveness of this programme was only evaluated using simplified Markov simulation models. The goal of this master thesis project is to compare different modelling approaches for evaluating the cost-effectiveness of H. pylori screen-and-treat in Taiwan. You will develop and apply a Taiwanese version of MISCAN-gastric, a microsimulation model developed at Erasmus MC, calibrating the model to local data using genetic algorithms or alternative calibration methods. You will compare the predictions to those of previously published models, focusing on health outcomes and cost-effectiveness An important focus will be to understand why the models produce similar or different outcomes. This includes investigating the influence of differences in model structure and parameters, assumptions in the statistical distributions of precursor disease and the timing of treatment effects. Ultimately, the project aims to assess the extent to which cost-effectiveness conclusions depend on the modelling approach and what this means for healthcare policy in Taiwan. Depending on your interest and progress, there is considerable scope to explore additional methodological or epidemiological questions, for example: Use multi-dimensional threshold analysis to investigate under what conditions H. pylori screen-and-treat is cost-effective in other countries. Explore advanced methods for comparing predictions from different models using model weights. Investigate whether Bayesian or machine learning approaches improve model calibration. Depending on the progress, we encourage and facilitate publication of the results in a peer-reviewed journal.

Core Responsibilities

Develop and calibrate a Taiwanese version of the MISCAN-gastric microsimulation model, then compare its health outcome and cost-effectiveness predictions with previously published models. Investigate how model structures, parameters, disease progression assumptions, and treatment-effect timing influence results and healthcare policy conclusions.

Requirements

This is a master’s thesis internship focused on econometrics, health data modeling, and evaluating H. pylori screening and treatment in Taiwan. The posting does not specify additional qualifications or prior experience requirements.