Business School health economist is elected to National Academy of Medicine

Professor Carol Propper, from Imperial College Business School, has been made an International Fellow of the National Academy of Medicine.

Professor Propper, Associate Dean of Faculty and Research at the Business School, was named among 85 new members, including 10 international members, to be elected to the National Academy of Medicine (NAM), a prestigious US based body which “recognizes individuals who have demonstrated outstanding professional achievement and commitment to service.”

Membership of the NAM is considered one of the highest honours for professionals working in the fields of health and medicine. New members are elected by current members through a process that recognises individuals who have made major contributions to the advancement of the medical sciences, healthcare, and public health.

Professor Propper said: “It is a great honour to be elected as an international fellow of the National Academy of Medicine. It is a rare privilege and I am thrilled for my research to be recognised in this way. I’d also like to acknowledge all my co-authors.”

The National Academy of Medicine was established in 1970 as the Institute of Medicine and is an independent organisation of prominent experts from diverse fields including health and medicine, natural, social, and behavioural sciences.

The institution serves alongside the National Academy of Sciences and the National Academy of Engineering as an adviser to the US nation and the international community. Through its domestic and global initiatives, the NAM works to address critical issues in health, medicine, and related policy and to inspire positive action across sectors. The NAM collaborates closely with its peer academies and other divisions within the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering and Medicine. 

“This distinguished and diverse class of new members is a truly remarkable set of scholars and leaders whose impressive work has advanced science, improved health, and made the world a better place for everyone,” said National Academy of Medicine President Victor J. Dzau.

“Their expertise in science, medicine, health, and policy in the U.S. and around the globe will help our organization address today’s most pressing health challenges and inform the future of health and health care. It is my privilege to welcome these esteemed individuals to the National Academy of Medicine.”

“I’m delighted to congratulate Carol on this incredible achievement. She is a leading expert in the field of health economics and her work addresses the critical challenges facing the healthcare system in the UK and internationally." Professor Francisco Veloso Dean of Imperial College Business School

Leading health economist

Professor Propper is a Chair in Economics at Imperial College Business School and her research specialises in the use of markets and financial incentives to improve delivery of healthcare, and other public services.

She joined Imperial as Professor of Economics and Head of the Health Management Group in 2007. In the 1990s, she acted as a senior economic adviser to the NHS and has undertaken a wide range of public service activities including as Chair of the Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC) research grants board (2005-2009) and as a member of the ESRC Council.

In 2010, she received a CBE for her services to social science. This recognised her work in public economics and the economics of healthcare, as well as work in other areas of social science. In 2014, she was elected a Fellow of the British Academy and last year she received the International Health Economics Association’s 25^th Arrow Award, which recognises excellence in the field of health economics. 

Professor Francisco Veloso, Dean of Imperial College Business School said: “I’m delighted to congratulate Carol on this incredible achievement. She is a leading expert in the field of health economics and her work addresses the critical challenges facing the healthcare system in the UK and internationally. She makes a significant contribution to the health research output of the School and we are honoured to have her on our faculty.”

Professor Propper’s appointment follows that of Lord Ara Darzi, who was made a foreign associate of the Institute of Medicine, the former name of the NAM in 2013.