Where Are They Now? C2E2 Alumni Tracey-Lea Laba tells her Story

Dr. Tracey-Lea Laba holds a PhD and BPharm(Hons) from the University of Sydney, Australia. Dr. Laba was a visiting post-doctoral research fellow (2016-2018) working primarily with Craig Mitton, Stirling Bryan and Michael Law from CHSPR, UBC. Trained in health economics and drug policy research, while based at C2E2, her research explored the impact of cost on medication utilization in BC and Australia, the impact of the Choosing Wisely campaign on drug use and expenditure and the implementation of alternative approaches to drug reimbursement decision-making. In collaboration with Mark Harrison and Nick Bansback, Dr. Laba also co-led a BC SPOR-funded project that is developing patient-oriented health economic methods.

Dr. Laba is currently an Associate Professor at the Centre for Health Economics Research and Evaluation at the University of Technology, Australia, where she is completing her post-doctoral fellowship exploring value and equity in access to medicines. Tracey’s time at C2E2 was instrumental in broadening her health services research skills and establishing several collaborations which continue despite the distance. She thoroughly enjoyed and is very grateful for her time at C2E2, and learned a great deal about the importance of team-building initiatives...and to always check the date on any Vegemite that one brings into the office!

Relevant publications:

Essue, BM, Jan, S, Dodson, S, Armstrong, K, Phuc, HT & Laba, T-L 2020, 'Who benefits most from extending financial protection for cataract surgery in Vietnam? An extended cost-effectiveness analysis of small incision surgery', Health Policy and Planning.

Laba, T-L, Cheng, L, Kolhatkar, A & Law, MR 2020, 'Cost-related nonadherence to medicines in people with multiple chronic conditions', Research in Social & Administrative Pharmacy : RSAP, vol. 16, no. 3, pp. 415-421.

Pace, J, Laba, T-L, Nisingizwe, MP & Lipworth, W 2020, 'Formulating an Ethics of Pharmaceutical Disinvestment', Journal of Bioethical Inquiry.

Laba, T-L, Jan, S, Zwar, NA, Roughead, E, Marks, GB, Flynn, AW, Goldman, MD, Heaney, A, Lembke, KA & Reddel, HK 2019, 'Cost-Related Underuse of Medicines for Asthma-Opportunities for Improving Adherence', The Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology. In practice, vol. 7, no. 7, pp. 2298-2306.

Law, MR, Cheng, L, Worthington, H, Majumdar, SR, McGrail, KM, Chan, F, Laba, T-L & Mamdani, M 2019, 'Impact of a household-level deductible on prescription drug use among lower-income adults: a quasi-experimental study.', CMAJ open, vol. 7, no. 1, pp. E167-E173.