Profile
Biography
Professor David Torgerson joined the University in 1995 working as a health economist in the Centre for Health Economics and became Director of the Trials Unit in 2002 until 2023. As well as being a health economist he is a trial methodologist with over 400 publications, including the book ‘Designing Randomised Controlled Trials in Health, Education and the Social Sciences (Palgrave Macmillan, 2008). As well as working on health care trials he also contributes to the design and conduct of randomised trials across the social sciences and is a joint organiser of the Annual Conference in Trials in the Social Sciences.
Qualifications
- MSc
- PhD
- Diploma in Health Economics
Research
Overview
David's research interests include trials methodology, musculoskeletal problems, falls, osteoporosis and innovative trial designs.
Projects
Research group(s)
Supervision
David is keen to supervise PhDs in the areas of: randomised trials and methodology of randomised trials.
Teaching
Undergraduate
- HYMS students - Trials and Falls prevention
Postgraduate
- MSc Health Economics
- MSc Forensic Psychology
- Randomised Controlled Trials
David is able to supervise Masters students with an interest in randomised controlled trials. Projects might include pilot/feasibility trials, Studies within a Trial (SWATs) (e.g., methods to improve recruitment or retention to trials), secondary analysis of existing trials, methodological reviews of randomised trials. He also has an interest in musculoskeletal disorders and can supervise systematic reviews of RCTs in the area.
External activities
Editorial duties
Invited talks and conferences
- Meeting at Parliament about trials in social policy
- Café Scientifique: trials in politics and public policy
Media coverage
Newspaper coverage of:
- Test, Learn, Adapt (Co-authored Cabinet Office paper on using trials in social policy)
Newspaper, Radio and TV coverage of:
- Yoga trial
- Radio 4 interview on Farming Today on badger culling
