Professor Lily Yao

Professor Lily Yao specialises in economic evaluations within the context of large randomised clinical trials, observational data and decisional analytic models, with a strong focus on cardiovascular diseases, multiple long term conditions and medical technology assessment (HTA). She has an outstanding track record in those areas. She has successfully led the economic components of over 30 large-scale landmark studies. These include projects funded by the Nation Institute of Health Research (NIHR) and those commissioned by the National Institute for Health and Care Excellent (NICE).

Her portfolio includes economic evaluation of medications such as antidepressants (funded by NIHR PGfAR), antibiotic resistances (funded by NIHR HTA and Medical Research Council), and digital interventions (funded by NIHR Programme Grant for Applied Research-PGfAR). She has also evaluated medical technologies such as resynchronisation devices (industry funded), a nasal balloon auto inflation (funded by NIHR HTA), and the Ambu aScope2 (commissioned by NICE). Several of the economic models she developed have been adopted by NICE Technology Appraisal Committee and by industry. Many of those projects have led to high-impact publications in the Lancet, the BMJ, European Heart Journal, and the Heath Technology Assessment Monograph series.

Prof Yao currently services as a Member of the NIHR PGfAR sub-committees and a Member of the NIHR Multiple Long-Term Conditions (MLTC) Cross Network Collaboration, intervention workstream.

In the past, Professor Yao served as a core member of NICE Public Health Advisory Committee (from 2019 - 2023). She was a senior advisor for the NIHR Research Design Service in South East Central and East Midland. She has provided expert guidance to clinician, academic and health service researchers across a wide range of clinical areas. Her contributions have spanned research networking, idea generation, innovative planning and study design, proposal development and collaboration team work.

Professor Yao holds a first degree in pure mathematics from Sun Yat-sen Univeristy in China, a Master’s degree in Economics of Public Policy from the University of Hull, and a PhD in Health Economics from the University of Birmingham. Her academic excellent has been recognised through multiple awards, including the high prestigious Sino-British Friendship Scholarship.

 

1. NIHR Team Science Award: NIHR Cross-NIHR Collaboration on MLTC Interventions and Prevention Workstream core team, Led by Professor Miles Witham, University of Newcastle and Lily is co-applicant.  

2. NIHR HTA.  A Randomised controlled trial assessing the clinical and cost-effectiveness of Endovasclar vs. Open revascularisation for common Femoral artery steno-occlusive disease. The RAF Trial. Led by Professor Athanasios Saratzis, Lily is a co-applicant. She leads health economic components and supervises a research fellow in health economics.

 

3. NIHR PGfAR.  Project title: Mixed methods co-design and evaluation of a Decision Support Tool to enable shared decision making for people who are considering cascade screening for Thoracic Aortic Disease: The DECIDE TAD Programme. This project is funded by NIHR PGfAR and led by Professor Gavin Murphy,  She leads health economic components and supervises a research fellow in health economics.

4. The United Kingdom Arm of the Transfusion Requirements in Younger Patients Undergoing Cardiac Surgery (TRICS IV) Trial: An international, multi-centre, randomized trial to assess the clinical and cost-effectiveness of liberal transfusion thresholds in younger patients undergoing cardiac surgery. This project is funded by NIHR HTA and led by Gavin Murphy, She leads health economic components and supervises a research fellow in health economics.

 5. Reference: NIHR130075 In-silico trials of targeted screening for abdominal aortic aneurysm using linked healthcare data: can the efficiency of the NHS Abdominal Aortic Aneurysm Screening Programme be improved whilst maintaining publicly acceptable levels of disease detection in an ethically acceptable manner. Lily as co-applicant and leading health economic components and supervise a research fellow.

6. Peripheral arterial disease, High blood pressure and Aneurysm Screening Trial (PHAST) - An evaluation of the acceptability, effectiveness and cost effectiveness of screening for peripheral arterial disease and high blood pressure at the same time as abdominal aortic aneurysm. This project is funded by NIHR PGfAR and led by Matt Bown. Start Date 01/04/2020 Grant Duration (Months) 99 End Date 30/06/2028 Research Costs £2,374,980.00. Lily as co-applicant and leading health economic components and supervise a research fellow.

7. The UK-China AMR Hub on Strategies to reduce the burden of antibiotic resistance in China.  This project is led by Professors Helen Lambert in Bristol and Bo Zheng at Peking University in Beijing funded by a joint UKRI (UK)-NSFC (China) Newton Fund initiative.  Lily is PI in Leicester. She leads WP3 and methodological group. UK Hub partners (Bristol, Leicester, Bath, Southampton, Public Health England and North Bristol NHS Trust). Total funding £3.0m starting from Feb 2019 -2023. 

8. Patient-reported outcome measures for monitoring primary care patients with depression: PROMDEP randomised controlled trial. This project is funded by NIHR HTA and led by Professor Tony Kendrick, University of Southampton. Lily is a co-applicant. She leads health economics of the project. 01/01/2019 to: 31/12/2021 (36 months). Total £1,994,435. 

9. Delayed antibiotic prescribing for respiratory tract infections - an evidence synthesis of individual patient data. Funded by NIHR Research for Patient Benefit (RfPB) Programme. Total grant £ 294,711. This project is funded by NIHR RfPB and led by Professor Beth Stuart. Lily is co-applicant. She leads health economics of the project. August 2017 to 2022. 

10. REducing and preventing COgnitive impairment iN older age groups (the RECON Programme). This project is funded by the NIHR PGfAR and led by Professor Paul Little, University of Southampton. Lily is a co-applicant and leads the health economics. Total grant, £3.4m. Funded for 8 years started in April 2017. 

11. Cancer: Life Affirming Survivorship support in Primary care (CLASP) Programme. This project is funded by the NIHR PGfAR and led by Professor Paul Little. Lily a co-applicant and leads the health economics. Total grant £2.5m. Funded for 5 years started in Feb 2016. 

12. Screen and TREAt for Malnutrition (STREAM) Programme",  This project is funded by the NIHR PGfAR and led by Professor Paul Little. Lily co-applicant and leads the health economics. Total grant £2.7m. Funded and started in April 2016 for y6 ears 

13. REviewing long term anti-Depressant Use by Careful monitoring in Everyday practice (REDUCE) programme. This project is funded by the NIHR PGfAR and led  by Tony Kendrick. Lily is a co-applicant and leads the health economics. Total grant £2.2m. Funded and started in Nov 2016 for 6 years. 

14. Antibiotics for lower Respiratory Tract Infection in Children presenting in Primary Care (ARTIC PC). This project is funded by NIHR HTA. Led by PI Paul Little.  Lily is a co-applicant and leads health economics of the study.   Total grant £1.5m. Funded and started 1 Nov 2015 for 4 years. 

Past funded projects:

1. NIHR Research Design Service (RDS) South East Central as Co-PI (30% 0f my time), leading health economic components. Total grant £5.6.
2. A randomised controlled trial comparing three brief interventions to manage overweight in primary care (POWER). The project is led by Paul Little and funded by NIHR HTA. Lily led the health economics components. Duration Jan 2012 – 2015.  HTA monograph published in 2017 and paper published in Lancet. 

3. Creating Learning Environments for Compassionate Care (CLECC): a feasibility study. Funded by HS&DR. PI Dr Jackie Bridges, Faculty of Health Sciences. Lily is a co-applicant and led the health economics component. Total funding £485,000. started from 1 Dec 2014 for two years.  Completed and reported submitted to HS&DR. March 2017

4. Feasibility study for a randomised controlled trial of patient reported outcome measures (PROMs) in the assessment and follow-up monitoring of patients with depression in primary care. NIHR Research for Patient Benefit (RfPB). PI Prof Tony Kendrick, University of Southampton. Lily is a Co-applicant. Total funding £ 300,000 started from 1 Sep 2014 for 2 years. 

5. A Primary Care Trial of a Website Based Infection Control Intervention to Modify Influenza- like Illness and Respiratory Infection Transmission (PRIMIT). Led by Prof Paul Little, Lily co - leads on health economics. Funded by NIHR program grant. Completed in 2016. 

6. Randomised Controlled Trial to Assess the Clinical and Cost-Effectiveness of Physiotherapy and Occupational Therapy in Parkinson's Disease (PD REHAB).  Lily Yao was a co applicant and led and supervised a Research Fellow on the Health Economic section. The project was funded by NIHR HTA. Duration Jan 2009 – 2013.  HTA monograph published in 2016.

7. Randomised Study of Autoinflation in 4-11 Years Old School Children with Otitis Media with Effusion (OME) In Primary Care :AIRS; led by Ian Williams, Lily led the health economics components. Funded by NIHR HTA. 

Past significant funding application and research projects:

• NIHR Research Design Service South Central. Funded by NIHR (Reference: PR-RD-0317-10006).  Lead Applicant: Dr Isabel Reading, University of Southampton. Lily Yao is Co-Applicants: Start Date: 01 October 2018; Duration: 60 months.  End Date: 30 September 2023. 
• External Assessment Centre for NICE. Grant £1.9m from NICE. Duration Nov 2011 to March 2014. Lily Yao and Professor Richard Lilford, University of Birmingham are joint principle investigators.

1. Ak Narayan Poudel, Shihua Zhu, Nicola Cooper, Paul Little , Carolyn Tarrant , Matthew Hickman, Guiqing Yao. The Economic Burden of Antibiotic Resistance: A Systematic Review. PLOS One. Published: May 8, 2023 

2. Ak Narayan Poudel, Shihua Zhu, Nicola Cooper, Paul Roderick, Nisreen Alwan, Carolyn Tarrant, Nida Ziauddeen, Guiqing Lily Yao. Impact of Covid-19 on health-related quality of life of patients: A structured review. PLoS One. 2021; 16(10): e0259164. Published online 2021 Oct 28. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0259164
PMCID: PMC8553121

3. Sam Tromans, Guiqing Yao, Reza Kiani, Regi Alexander, Mohammed Al-Uzri, Traolach Brugha. An investigation of the prevalence of autism among adults admitted to acute mental health wards: A cross-sectional study.   BMJ Open. 2019 Dec 23;9(12):e033169. doi: 10.1136/bmjopen-2019-033169. PMID: 31874885 

4. Letouze D, Yao G, Clarke SC. The costs associated with the public health management of a cluster of meningococcal infection in England. Vaccine. 2014 Sep 29;32(43):5549-51. doi: 10.1016/j.vaccine.2014.08.044. Epub 2014 Aug 27. PMID: 25173479
5. Wu J., Zhu S., Yao G., Mohammed M.A., Marshall T. Patient Factors Influencing the Prescribing of Lipid Lowering Drugs for Primary Prevention in UK General Practice: A National Retrospective Cohort Study. PLOT PLoS One. 2013 Jul 26;8(7):e67611.
6. Yao G., Novielli N., Manaseki-Holland S., Chen Y., van der Klink M., Lilford R.J.. Pre-development evaluation of service delivery interventions: an application to an intervention to improve clinical handover.  BMJ Qual Saf. 2012 Dec;21 Suppl 1:i29-38
7. Zhu, Shihua, Song, Fujian, Lilford, Richard, Bayliss, Sue, Chilton, Peter, Cummins, Carole, Duffy, John and Yao, Guiqing Lily (2012) Ambu aScope2 in unexpected difficult airways management. External Assessment Report  Birmingham, GB NICE 140pp.  https://www.nice.org.uk/guidance/mtg14/resources/ambu-ascope2-for-use-in-unexpected-difficult-airways-eac-assessment-report2
8. Yao G., Freemantle N., Marcus F.,Tharmanathan P., Coats A. and Poole-Wilson P.A.. Long-Term Cost-effectiveness Analysis of Nebivolol Compared With Placebo In Elderly Patients With Heart Failure – An Individual Patient based Simulation Model – Pharmacoeconomics. 2008;26(10):879-889.
9. Yao G., Freemantle N.,  Calvert M. J., Bryan S., Claude, Daubert. Cleland J.G.F. The Long-term Cost-Effectiveness of Cardiac Resynchronization Therapy with or Without an Implantable Cardioverter-Defibrillator. European Heart Journal 2007 28: 42-51.
10. Miners A., Yao G., Raftery J, Taylor R.. Calcineurin Inhibitors in Renal Transplantation: A Review of Their Cost Effectiveness. Pharmacoeconomics. 2007;25(11):935-47
11. Wilson J, Yao GL, Raftery J, Bohlius J, Brunskill S, Sandercock J, Bayliss S, Moss P, Stanworth S, Hyde C. A systematic review and economic evaluation of epoetin alpha, epoetin beta and darbepoetin alpha in anaemia associated with cancer, especially that attributable to cancer treatment. Health Technol Assess. 2007 Apr;11(13):1-202, iii-iv. Review.
12. Yao G., Albon E., Adi, Y, Milford D., Bayliss S., Ready A., Raftery J., and Taylor R.. A systematic review and economic model of the clinical and cost-effectiveness of immunosuppressive therapy for renal transplantation in children.. Health Technology Assessment. 2006 Dec;10 (49):1-178.
13. Woodroffe, Yao GL, Meads C., Bayliss S., Ready A., Raftery J. and Taylor RS.. Clinical and cost-effectiveness of newer immunosuppressive regimens in renal transplantation: a systematic review and modelling study. Health Technology Assessment 2005; Vol. 9, No. 21
14. Calvert M., Freemantle N., Yao G.,  Cleland J., Billingham C.,  Daubert J.,  Bryan S. . Cost-Effectiveness of Cardiac Resynchronization Therapy: Results from the CARE-HF Trial. On Behalf of the CARE-HF Investigators. European Heart Jornal Nov 11, 2005
15. Raftery J.P., Yao G.L., Murchie P., Campbell N.C., Ritchie L.D.. The cost effectiveness of nurse-led secondary prevention clinics for coronary heart disease in primary care: four- year follow up of a randomised trial. British Medical Journal, Mar 2005; 330: 707
16. Copas A.J., Farewell V., Mercer C.M. and Yao. G.. The sensitivity of estimates of the change in population behaviour to realistic changes in bias in repeated surveys Journal of Royal Statistical Society. A (2004) 167, Part 4, pp. 579–595

Publication by years:

On the teaching front, Professor Yao currently leads the development of a new Master’s Degree programme in Clinical Trials. In the past, she was module lead for Quantitative Methods in the MSc I Quality and Safety in HealthCare, as well as the Clinical Trial module in the master’s degree programme in Medical Statistics.