Research Fellow
Overview
I’m a Research Fellow and Health Economist at The University of Queensland’s Centre for the Business and Economics of Health (CBEH). My expertise is in applied economics, using econometric and discrete choice modelling techniques to study care needs and health behaviour of people. I am particularly passionate about improving the lives of older people with special focus on cognitive decline, dementia, informal and formal aged care.
My research is funded through competitive grants through the Medical Research Future Fund (MRFF), the Australian Research Council (ARC) and the National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC). I am a Chief Investigator on two MRFF grants; one is evaluating the costs and benefits of a hearing and vision intervention in home care and another evaluating alcohol harm reduction interventions. I am a postdoc on an ARC grant that utilises economic methods to align population needs to capacities to care and service provision and on an NHMRC grant developing and testing new models for understanding and improving the treatment of youth substance use.
I hold a Bachelors degree in Health Economics from the University of Cologne, Germany (Dean’s Awards) and a Masters degree in Health Economics from the Erasmus University Rotterdam, the Netherlands (Cum Laude Award). I received my PhD in Health Economics from the University of Queensland where I was awarded the BEL faculty HDR Excellent Award.
Research Interests
- Dementia
- Aged care
Research Impacts
My work has been influential in informing and impacting health policy. I was recently involved in an evaluation of an increase in the midwife-to-mother ratio in Queensland hospitals and have contributed to informing risk adjustment models for the aged care star rating in Australia. I am co-founder and convenor of the special interest group (SIG) on Aged Care, Ageing and Dementia within the Australian Health Economics Association and I lecture at the School of Economics Health Economics and Health Economics and Policy undergraduate and postgraduate courses.
Qualifications
- Doctor of Philosophy of Health Economics, The University of Queensland
- Masters (Research) of Health Economics, Erasmus University of Rotterdam
- Bachelor of Health Economics, University of Cologne
Publications
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Journal Article: Informal care and financial stress: Longitudinal evidence from Australia
Koomson, Isaac, Lenzen, Sabrina and Afoakwah, Clifford (2024). Informal care and financial stress: Longitudinal evidence from Australia. Stress and Health, e3393. doi: 10.1002/smi.3393
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Journal Article: The relationship between physical activity, cognitive function and health care use: a mediation analysis
Lenzen, Sabrina, Gannon, Brenda, Rose, Christiern and Norton, Edward C. (2023). The relationship between physical activity, cognitive function and health care use: a mediation analysis. Social Science and Medicine, 335 116202, 1-12. doi: 10.1016/j.socscimed.2023.116202
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Journal Article: From population numbers to population needs: Incorporating epidemiological change into health service planning in Australia
Lenzen, Sabrina and Birch, Stephen (2023). From population numbers to population needs: Incorporating epidemiological change into health service planning in Australia. Social Science and Medicine, 328 115972, 1-8. doi: 10.1016/j.socscimed.2023.115972
Grants
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(2024–2028) NHMRC MRFF PPHR - Maternal Health and Healthy Lifestyles
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Home hearing and vision care to improve quality of life for people with dementia and carers
(2023–2026) NHMRC MRFF Dementia, Ageing and Aged Care Mission
Supervision
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Effectiveness of measures to reduce health system demand
Master Philosophy
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Incorporating the Gains from Healthy Ageing in Health System Planning
Doctor Philosophy
Publications
Journal Article
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Informal care and financial stress: Longitudinal evidence from Australia
Koomson, Isaac, Lenzen, Sabrina and Afoakwah, Clifford (2024). Informal care and financial stress: Longitudinal evidence from Australia. Stress and Health, e3393. doi: 10.1002/smi.3393
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Lenzen, Sabrina, Gannon, Brenda, Rose, Christiern and Norton, Edward C. (2023). The relationship between physical activity, cognitive function and health care use: a mediation analysis. Social Science and Medicine, 335 116202, 1-12. doi: 10.1016/j.socscimed.2023.116202
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Lenzen, Sabrina and Birch, Stephen (2023). From population numbers to population needs: Incorporating epidemiological change into health service planning in Australia. Social Science and Medicine, 328 115972, 1-8. doi: 10.1016/j.socscimed.2023.115972
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Lenzen, Sabrina, Bakx, Pieter, Bom, Judith and van Doorslaer, Eddy (2021). Health care use and out-of-pocket spending by persons with dementia differ between Europe and the United States. Medical Care, 59 (6), 543-549. doi: 10.1097/MLR.0000000000001539
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A dynamic microeconomic analysis of the impact of physical activity on cognition among older people
Lenzen, Sabrina, Gannon, Brenda and Rose, Christiern (2020). A dynamic microeconomic analysis of the impact of physical activity on cognition among older people. Economics and Human Biology, 39 100933, 100933. doi: 10.1016/j.ehb.2020.100933
Other Outputs
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Lenzen, Sabrina (2021). Microeconomic models of physical activity, cognition and health care utilization in the aging population. PhD Thesis, School of Economics, The University of Queensland. doi: 10.14264/91ddc43
Grants (Administered at UQ)
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(2024–2028) NHMRC MRFF PPHR - Maternal Health and Healthy Lifestyles
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Home hearing and vision care to improve quality of life for people with dementia and carers
(2023–2026) NHMRC MRFF Dementia, Ageing and Aged Care Mission
PhD and MPhil Supervision
Current Supervision
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Effectiveness of measures to reduce health system demand
Master Philosophy — Principal Advisor
Other advisors:
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Incorporating the Gains from Healthy Ageing in Health System Planning
Doctor Philosophy — Principal Advisor
