Contact information

Research groups

Health Economics and Policy Evaluation

Colleges

Brasenose College

José Leal

Associate Professor in Health Economics

My research focuses on using real-world health data and clinical trials to show what works and what offers best value for patients and the NHS. Budgets are tight; smart choices save lives and money.

I build disease models and run economic studies using trials and registries across cardiovascular disease, diabetes, dementia, musculoskeletal care, mental health and eye health.

My findings inform national and European guidance and support work on the European Commission’s cardiovascular strategy. I lead studies with the European Society of Cardiology and serve as health economics lead on NIHR and ARUK programmes. I teach and supervise DPhil students interested in Health Economics.

I am an Associate Professor in Oxford’s Nuffield Department of Primary Care Health Sciences and serve on the NIHR RfPB committee.

Key publications

Antibiotic prescribing and use in United Kingdom general practices in socio-economically deprived areas: a critical interpretive synthesis

Bell A. et al, (2026), Journal of Health Equity, 3

Ensuring participant safety in research studies evaluating digital mental health interventions delivered remotely - insights from the PIPA trial of an online parenting intervention to prevent affective disorders in high-risk adolescents

Madan J. et al, (2026), BMC Medical Research Methodology, 26

Cost-effectiveness of paramedic administered ketamine compared to morphine for the management of acute severe pain from traumatic injury

Khan KA. et al, (2026), Cost Effectiveness and Resource Allocation, 24

A multivariate decomposition analysis of drivers of overweight and obesity among Ghanaian women

Mensah JP. et al, (2026), Communications Medicine, 6

Evaluation of the experience of people referred under the NHS enhanced service incentive for obesity to the NHS digital weight management programme: a mixed method study

Barrett S. et al, (2026), BMC Public Health, 26

A decision-tree model to evaluate the impacts of workforce investments aimed at strengthening emergency obstetric and neonatal care (EmONC) facilities in Burundi

Habonimana D. et al, (2026), Cost Effectiveness and Resource Allocation, 24

A multidimensional framework for mapping social need to electronic health records in people with multimorbidity

Isaac T. et al, (2026), Scientific Reports, 16

How can we make postnatal information resources more accessible to women experiencing challenges accessing healthcare? Report of a co-production project

MacLellan J. et al, (2026), International Journal for Equity in Health, 25

Does the range of ecolabels on offer alter their impact on meal selection? An online randomised control trial

Biggs E. et al, (2026), BMC Public Health, 26

Can TElemedicine system replace doctor consultations to Achieve non-inferior blood pressure in patients with Controlled Hypertension (TEACH)? Study protocol for a randomised controlled trial

Ng SN. et al, (2026), Trials, 27

Associations of Alzheimer’s disease with inpatient hospital costs and with quality-adjusted life years: evidence from conventional and Mendelian randomization analyses in the UK Biobank

Dixon P. and Anderson E., (2026), Cost Effectiveness and Resource Allocation, 24

Telephone triage in urgent unscheduled primary care in 16 European countries: a cross-national questionnaire-based expert study

Bergholdt Jul Christiansen I. et al, (2026), Scandinavian Journal of Primary Health Care, 44

Reply to correspondence "Re-evaluating the '12-month' interval for self-monitoring BP: a focus on high-risk populations and dynamic treatment phases"

Rose F. et al, (2026), Journal of Hypertension, 44

Consultation-based interventions to optimize medication adherence in primary care: a systematic review

Callan C. et al, (2026), Family Practice, 43

Characteristics of individuals from ethnic minority backgrounds who die by suicide: A systematic review and meta-analysis

Crowley G. et al, (2026), Journal of Affective Disorders, 398

‘What Do People With Long Covid Want From Healthcare Services?’ A Qualitative Exploration From Lived Experience

Rayner C. et al, (2026), Health Expectations, 29

Ethnic differences in Long COVID diagnosed in primary care in England (2020–2022): an observational cohort study using OpenSAFELY

Mallinson PA. et al, (2026), Lancet Regional Health Europe, 63

HIV drug resistance amongst children and adolescents with viraemia in Lesotho and Tanzania: a nested analysis in the GIVE MOVE trial

Schönenberger CM. et al, (2026), Journal of Antimicrobial Chemotherapy, 81

How to … Apply for a Research Fellowship in Clinical Education: The ‘Six Ps’ of Success

Tiffin P. et al, (2026), Clinical Teacher, 23

Addressing parenting challenges in primary care Standfirst: Support shortfalls continue to disproportionately impact female GPs

Park S. et al, (2026), The BMJ

Telehealth Use and Modality Choice Among US Adults: Shorrocks-Shapley Decomposition of a 2022 Cross-Sectional National Survey.

Bolbocean C. et al, (2026), J Med Internet Res, 28

Digital interventions for improving quality of life and physical function in adults aged 50 and over living with rheumatic and musculoskeletal diseases

Henriques AR. et al, (2026), Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews, 2026

Rendering White nationalism defensible in interaction

Sterphone J. et al, (2026), British Journal of Social Psychology

Sociodemographic disparities in primary care management of back pain in children and young people: a population-based cohort study.

Mason KJ. et al, (2026), Eur Spine J

When I use a word . . . Facial blindness-prosopagnosia.

Aronson JK., (2026), BMJ, 392

Clinically reported covert cerebrovascular disease and risk of neurological disease: a whole-population cohort of 367 988 people using natural language processing.

Iveson MH. et al, (2026), J Neurol Neurosurg Psychiatry

Cardiovascular risk profiles in people living with HIV taking antiretroviral therapy in rural Lesotho: Findings from the PRECARIF study

Makhele M. et al, (2026), Southern African Journal of HIV Medicine, 27

Ecosystem Restoration and Human Health: A Scoping Review (2015-2025)

Prendergast J. et al, (2026)

A protocol for a realist review of the acceptability and implementation of health checks for people with an intellectual disability and for autistic people

Ingham B. et al, (2026), NIHR Open Research, 6, 24 - 24

The effect of increased availability of vegetarian meals on vegetarian meal sales in worksite cafeterias: a stepped-wedge cluster randomised controlled trial

Becker E. et al, (2026), International Journal of Behavioral Nutrition and Physical Activity

Does unmatching meat and plant-based meals change plant-based meal selection? An evaluation in an online hypothetical randomised trial.

Garnett EE. et al, (2026), Appetite

Reduced-nicotine cigarettes for smoking cessation and reduction

Livingstone-Banks J. et al, (2026), Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews, 3

Risk of Major Adverse Cardiovascular Events With Dolutegravir Versus Efavirenz-Based Antiretroviral Therapy: Emulated Target Trials Using Routine, De-Identified Data From South Africa.

Dorward J. et al, (2026), Clin Infect Dis

The epidemiological effect and cost-effectiveness of expanded age eligibility for recombinant zoster vaccination in England.

Ku C-C. et al, (2026), Vaccine, 78

Research data for: Does unmatching meat and plant-based meals change plant-based meal selection? An evaluation in an online hypothetical randomised trial

Garnett E. et al, (2026)

Effect of the English National Enhanced Service on weight management referral rate: an interrupted time-series analysis

Haffner SJP. et al, (2026), BMJ Open, 16

Baseline household income is associated with severity and course of severe mental illness

Valencia-Arango JP. et al, (2026), Psychological Medicine, 56

A model-based evaluation of the cost-effectiveness of paediatric and elderly vaccination against pneumococcal infection in England

Keeling MJ. et al, (2026)

HepB-boost: Implementation of free-of-charge health care worker hepatitis B testing and vaccination at Kilifi County Referral Hospital, Kenya

Downs LO. et al, (2026), International Journal of Infectious Diseases, 164

Assessing the association between COVID-19 vaccination and thrombotic thrombocytopenia syndrome (ATTEST Study): Analyses of English data, 2020-2022

Ordóñez-Mena JM. et al, (2026), International Journal of Infectious Diseases, 164

Epidemiology of virologically confirmed RSV, influenza and COVID-19 in adults in England, 2023–2024: Primary Care Observational Study of Acute Respiratory Infection (ObservatARI)

Ordóñez-Mena JM. et al, (2026), Journal of Infection, 92

Estimating the Potential Impact of the 2024 UK Salt Reduction Targets on Cardiovascular Health Outcomes and Health Care Costs in Adults: A Modeling Study

Bandy L. et al, (2026), Hypertension Dallas Tex 1979, 83

Outcomes in Early Adulthood for Individuals Born Very Preterm and/or with Very Low Birth Weight: Evidence from Multinational Cohorts

Pilvar H. et al, (2026), Journal of Pediatrics Clinical Practice, 19

Recent publications

Assessing clinical and cost effectiveness of total versus partial knee replacement (TOPKAT): 10-year follow-up of a multicentre, randomised controlled trial.

Beard DJ. et al, (2026), Lancet Rheumatol, 8, e116 - e126

Association between non-invasive biomarkers and quality of life in Primary Sclerosing Cholangitis

Dai J. et al, (2025), Plos One, 20

Real-world waitlist randomised controlled trial of gameChange VR to treat severe agoraphobic avoidance in patients with psychosis: A study protocol

Freeman D. et al, (2025), BMJ Open, 15

Effects of empagliflozin on quality of life and healthcare use and costs in chronic kidney disease: a health economic analysis of the EMPA-KIDNEY trial

Zhou J. et al, (2025), Eclinicalmedicine, 85

Efficacy of a 6-month supported online programme (Feeling Safer) for the treatment of persecutory delusions: protocol for a randomised controlled trial