Dr Martin Howell is a Health Economist and Senior Research Fellow at the Sydney School of Public Health, The University of Sydney. His prime areas of interest are in patient preferences, values and priorities and how these should be captured in research and patient care and economic evaluations alongside clinical trials. Areas of expertise include the use of econometric methods to elicit preferences and priorities, development of clinical practice guidelines and health economic evaluations. He has applied Best Worst Scaling techniques in international surveys that have been completed by over 18,000 patients, carers, community members and health professionals from over 60 countries. These have informed the design and development of core outcomes and core outcome measures for patient reported and clinical outcomes. Martin is also responsible for completion of economic evaluations alongside 10 clinical trials including those conducted by the Australasian Kidney Trials Network (AKTN).

Martin has a lead role in community engagement in chronic kidney disease research, which includes engaging consumer advocacy groups and initiating the Consumer Advisory Board for the Better Evidence And Translation in Chronic Kidney Disease (BEAT-CKD) program. He was instrumental in engaging patient/carer research partners at the Centre of Kidney Research and in developing a PhD research programs for patient partners. With BEAT-CKD, he works to engage consumers across research projects and through consumer forums at scientific meetings. His leadership in community engagement has been recognised by his inclusion in the expert advisory group for the Kidney Health Australia’s ‘Yarning Kidneys’ Indigenous community consultation program.