Jinshuo Li, Research Fellow, Department of Health Sciences
Jinshuo took her undergraduate degree in Public Health Administration in Shanghai, China, and her masters degree in Health Economics, Policy and Management in Oslo, Norway.
She is currently working as a health economist in the Mental Health and Addictions Research Group, where she's involved in various projects and economic evaluations.
email: jinshuo.li@york.ac.uk
Our 60-second interview with Jinshuo:
What do you do in the field of mental health?
As a health economist, my main task is to evaluate the cost-effectiveness of various interventions for mental health and addiction. During the process, I explore different services utilised by people with different needs and the impact of interventions on their quality of life.
What do you find most rewarding and inspiring in this work?
Through research, we identify people’s needs and quantify the price to meet their needs. We see how guidance and recommended services are implemented in practice. While I am not the one to make decisions on policy, it is always nice to know my work is weighed together with that of others before a decision is made.
What is the most challenging or complicated aspect of this work?
Unlike service guidance, the reality of health care and community services vary from place to place and from time to time. The changes of service systems are often not simultaneous even within one country. How to collect data in a broadly compatible way, yet allow some flexibility to suit the local conditions is a constant challenge.
What impact do you hope your work is having- or can potentially have?
If my work could help the healthcare provider use resources more efficiently, that will be fulfilling. Some illnesses could not be cured given the current level of medical technology. I hope those that could be cured will be cured without the hindrance of limited resources.
Could you share with us one piece of advice that you follow for your own mental health?
We all want to show ourselves to others what we think is the best but it is important for us to know and accept that we could be different from what we appear to be.