William Leung, Department of Public Health, Our people, University of Otago, Wellington, University of Otago, New Zealand

BA (Econ), MSc (Op Res), MSc (Comp Sci), MSc (Health Econ)

Senior lecturer in health economics
Postgraduate course director (CPH, DPH & Diploma in Health Management)

Teaches PUBH735 The Economics of Health Policy Decision Making, PUBH736 Economic Evaluation

Contact details
Research interests and activities
Publications

Contact details

Tel +64 4 918 4617
Email william.leung@otago.ac.nz

Research interests and activities

William is the University of Otago, Wellington School of Medicine’s health economist. Recent projects have included meta-analyses of the effect of calcium intake on fracture and bone mineral density (with Distinguished Professor Ian Reid), and within-trial and decision-analytic cost-effectiveness analyses in areas such as CVD, diabetes, mental health, oncology, physical activity, respiratory disease, smoking cessation, and sun safety. He is leading the economic component of the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention-funded Southern Hemisphere Influenza and Vaccine Effectiveness Research and Surveillance (SHIVERS) multi-agency project (Professor Michael Baker), and is part of several international health economics collaborations eg Single Pill to Avert Cardiovascular Events, multiple sclerosis, neuro-endocrine tumours, and rheumatic fever.

Within New Zealand, he is involved with external consultancy work for government agencies, often with health economist colleagues in Dunedin campus, where he is a consulting health economist. For example, The Royal Society of New Zealand’s 2017 evidence update of antimicrobial resistance, and peer reviewing, for the Social Policy Evaluation and Research Unit (Families Commission), PwC’s economic evaluation of the Prime Minister’s $64m Youth Mental Health Project.

Before training as a health economist at the University of York, he was an operational research analyst (working with Professor Val Belton, Dr. Mark Elder and others) in the British National Health Service applying discrete-event simulation and other tools to modelling cancer treatment pathways.

Teaching and service

William is the postgraduate course director for the CPH, DPH, and Diploma in Health Management. His term as chair of the tri-campus Public Health Academic Committee, which has operational/academic oversight of the taught programmes, ended in January 2019; the current chair is Dr Trudy Sullivan.

He teaches PUBH 735 “The Economics of Health Policy Decision Making” (Dr Brian Easton in 2019), PUBH 736 “Economic Evaluation” (overall convenor), and contributed to the undergraduate medical programme.

In partnership with one of the global Big Four accounting firms, William has offered students paid internships and placements with them.

Student supervision

“Observations, and cost-effectiveness, of sun protection in schools”.
Primary supervisor of Ryan Gage’s MPH in the Health Promotion and Policy Research Unit. Data from Professor Louise Signal’s Kids’Cam project were used. The thesis was published in the following international journals: Health Education & Behavior; Health Promotion International; and Photochemistry & Photobiology.

“The Waikōura Framework: A bicultural systems model for management of Lake Rotorua”.
Co-supervisor of Mereana Wilson’s extramural MPH in the Health Environment and Infection Research Unit. In collaboration with the Ministry for the Environment, Professor Graeme Doole, and Dr Paul Blaschke, a system dynamics model was designed and built to estimate the impact various freshwater management interventions have on lake health from a Māori and standard scientific perspective. Awarded a distinction-level pass.

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Publications

Gordon, L. G., Leung, W., Johns, R., McNoe, B., Lindsay, D., Merollini, K. M. D., … Whiteman, D. C. (2022). Estimated healthcare costs of melanoma and keratinocyte skin cancers in Australia and Aotearoa New Zealand in 2021. International Journal of Environmental Research & Public Health, 19, 3178. doi: 10.3390/ijerph19063178

Leung, W., Roberts, V., Gordon, L. G., Bullen, C., McRobbie, H., Prapavessis, H., … Maddison, R. (2017). Economic evaluation of an exercise-counselling intervention to enhance smoking cessation outcomes: The Fit2Quit trial. Tobacco Induced Diseases, 15, 21. doi: 10.1186/s12971-017-0126-y

Leung, W., Kvizhinadze, G., Nair, N., & Blakely, T. (2016). Adjuvant trastuzumab in HER2-positive early breast cancer by age and hormone receptor status: A cost-utility analysis. PLoS Medicine, 13(8), e1002067. doi: 10.1371/journal.pmed.1002067

Bolland, M. J., Leung, W., Tai, V., Bastin, S., Gamble, G. D., Grey, A., & Reid, I. R. (2015). Calcium intake and risk of fracture: Systematic review. BMJ, 351, h4580. doi: 10.1136/bmj.h4580

Tai, V., Leung, W., Grey, A., Reid, I. R., & Bolland, M. J. (2015). Calcium intake and bone mineral density: Systematic review and meta-analysis. BMJ, 351, h4183. doi: 10.1136/bmj.h4183

Journal - Research Article

Bolland, M. J., Leung, W., Tai, V., Bastin, S., Gamble, G. D., Grey, A., & Reid, I. R. (2015). Calcium intake and risk of fracture: Systematic review. BMJ, 351, h4580. doi: 10.1136/bmj.h4580

Journal - Research Article

Tai, V., Leung, W., Grey, A., Reid, I. R., & Bolland, M. J. (2015). Calcium intake and bone mineral density: Systematic review and meta-analysis. BMJ, 351, h4183. doi: 10.1136/bmj.h4183

Journal - Research Article

Bennett, J., Zhang, J., Leung, W., Jack, S., Oliver, J., Webb, R., … Sika-Paotonu, D., Harwood, M., & Baker, M. G. (2021). Rising ethnic inequalities in acute rheumatic fever and rheumatic heart disease, New Zealand, 2000-2018. Emerging Infectious Diseases, 27(1), 36-46. doi: 10.3201/eid2701.191791

Journal - Research Article

Bristow, S. M., Bolland, M. J., Gamble, G. D., Leung, W., & Reid, I. R. (2021). Dietary calcium intake and change in bone mineral density in older adults: A systematic review of longitudinal cohort studies. European Journal of Clinical Nutrition, 76, 196-205. doi: 10.1038/s41430-021-00957-8

Journal - Research Other

Hale, L., Devan, H., Davies, C., Dean, S. G., Dowell, T., Grainger, R., Gray, A. R., … Ingham, T., Jones, B., Leung, W., Mills, J., … Shipton, E., & Perry, M. (2021). Clinical and cost-effectiveness of an online-delivered group-based pain management programme in improving pain-related disability for people with persistent pain: Protocol for a non-inferiority randomised controlled trial (iSelf-help trial). BMJ Open, 11(2), e046376. doi: 10.1136/bmjopen-2020-046376

Journal - Research Other

Bennett, J., Rentta, N., Leung, W., Anderson, A., Oliver, J., Wyber, R., Harwood, M., … Baker, M. G. (2021). Structured review of primary interventions to reduce group A streptococcal infections, acute rheumatic fever and rheumatic heart disease. Journal of Paediatrics & Child Health, 57, 797-802. doi: 10.1111/jpc.15514

Journal - Research Other

Gage, R., Leung, W., Gurtner, M., Reeder, A. I., McNoe, B. M., & Signal, L. (2022). Generating political priority for skin cancer primary prevention: A case study from Aotearoa New Zealand. Health Promotion Journal of Australia, 33, 740-750. doi: 10.1002/hpja.545

Journal - Research Article

Bennett, J., Rentta, N. N., Leung, W., Atkinson, J., Wilson, N., Webb, R., & Baker, M. G. (2021). Early diagnosis of acute rheumatic fever and rheumatic heart disease as part of a secondary prevention strategy: Narrative review. Journal of Paediatrics & Child Health, 57, 1385-1390. doi: 10.1111/jpc.15664

Journal - Research Other

Byrnes, C. A., Trenholme, A., Lawrence, S., Aish, H., Higham, J. A., Hoare, K., … Leung, W., … Stewart, J. (2020). Prospective community programme versus parent-drive care to prevent respiratory morbidity in children following hospitalisation with severe bronchiolitis or pneumonia. Thorax, 75, 298-305. doi: 10.1136/thoraxjnl-2019-213142

Journal - Research Article

Gage, R., Leung, W., Stanley, J., Reeder, A., Mackay, C., Chambers, T., Smith, M., Barr, M., & Signal, L. (2019). Studying third-parties and environments: New Zealand sun-safety research. Health Promotion International, 34(3), 440-446. doi: 10.1093/heapro/dax094

Journal - Research Article

Nghiem, N., Leung, W., Cleghorn, C., Blakely, T., & Wilson, N. (2019). Mass media promotion of a smartphone smoking cessation app: Modelled health and cost-saving impacts. BMC Public Health, 19(1), 283. doi: 10.1186/s12889-019-6605-8

Journal - Research Article

Anderson, Y. C., Leung, W., Grant, C. C., Cave, T. L., Derraik, J. G. B., Cutfield, W. S., … Sullivan, T. A. (2018). Economic evaluation of a multi-disciplinary community-based intervention programme for New Zealand children and adolescents with obesity. Obesity Research & Clinical Practice, 12(3), 293-298. doi: 10.1016/j.orcp.2018.04.001

Journal - Research Article

Sarfati, D., McLeod, M., Stanley, J., Signal, V., Stairmand, J., Krebs, J., Dowell, A., Leung, W., Davies, C., & Grainger, R. (2018). BetaMe: Impact of a comprehensive digital health programme on HbA1c and weight at 12 months for people with diabetes and pre-diabetes: Study protocol for a randomised controlled trial. Trials, 19, 161. doi: 10.1186/s13063-018-2528-4

Journal - Research Other

Gage, R., Leung, W., Stanley, J., Reeder, A., Mackay, C., Smith, M., Barr, M., Chambers, T., & Signal, L. (2018). Sun protection among New Zealand primary school children. Health Education & Behavior, 45(5), 800-807. doi: 10.1177/1090198117741943

Journal - Research Article

Gage, R., Barr, M., Stanley, J., Reeder, A., Mackay, C., Smith, M., Chambers, T., Leung, W., & Signal, L. (2018). Sun protection and shade availability in New Zealand's outdoor recreation spaces. New Zealand Medical Journal, 131(1484), 30-37. Retrieved from https://www.nzma.org.nz/journal

Journal - Research Article

Nghiem, N., Cleghorn, C. L., Leung, W., Nair, N., van der Deen, F. S., Blakely, T., & Wilson, N. (2018). A national quitline service and its promotion in the mass media: Modelling the health gain, health equity and cost-utility. Tobacco Control, 27(4), 434-441. doi: 10.1136/tobaccocontrol-2017-053660

Journal - Research Article

Gage, R., Leung, W., Stanley, J., Reeder, A., Barr, M., Chambers, T., Smith, M., & Signal, L. (2017). Clothing protection from ultraviolet radiation: A new method for assessment. Photochemistry & Photobiology, 93(6), 1513-1518. doi: 10.1111/php.12803

Journal - Research Article

Maddison, R., Pfaeffli, L., Whittaker, R., Stewart, R., Kerr, A., Jiang, Y., … Leung, W., … Rawstorn, J. (2015). A mobile phone intervention increases physical activity in people with cardiovascular disease: Results from the HEART randomized controlled trial. European Journal of Preventive Cardiology, 22(6), 701-709. doi: 10.1177/2047487314535076

Journal - Research Article

Maddison, R., Roberts, V., McRobbie, H., Bullen, C., Prapavessis, H., Glover, M., … Leung, W., … Tsai, M. (2014). Exercise counseling to enhance smoking cessation outcomes: The Fit2Quit Randomized Controlled Trial. Annals of Behavioral Medicine, 48, 194-204. doi: 10.1007/s12160-014-9588-9

Journal - Research Article

North, N., Leung, W., & Lee, R. (2014). New graduate separations from New Zealand's nursing workforce in the first 5 years after registration: A retrospective cohort analysis of a national administrative data set 2005-2010. Journal of Advanced Nursing, 70(8), 1813-1824. doi: 10.1111/jan.12339

Journal - Research Article

North, N., Leung, W., & Lee, R. (2014). Aged over 50 years and practising: Separation and changes in nursing practice among New Zealand's older Registered Nurses. Journal of Advanced Nursing, 70(12), 2779-2790. doi: 10.1111/jan.12426

Journal - Research Article

Milsom, S., Leung, W., Twigden, V., Mitchell, P., Nowitz, M., & Cornish, J. (2013). Does insufficient access to dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA) stifle the provision of quality osteoporosis care in New Zealand? Archives of Osteoporosis, 8, 120. doi: 10.1007/s11657-013-0120-9

Journal - Research Article

North, N., Leung, W., Ashton, T., Rasmussen, E., Hughes, F., & Finlayson, M. (2013). Nurse turnover in New Zealand: Costs and relationships with staffing practises and patient outcomes. Journal of Nursing Management, 21(3), 419-428. doi: 10.1111/j.1365-2834.2012.01371.x

Journal - Research Article

Leung, W., Ashton, T., Kolt, G. S., Schofield, G. M., Garrett, N., Kerse, N., & Patel, A. (2012). Cost-effectiveness of pedometer-based versus time-based Green Prescriptions: The Healthy Steps Study. Australian Journal of Primary Health, 18(3), 204-211. doi: 10.1071/PY11028

Journal - Research Article

Brown, P., McNeill, R., Leung, W., Radwan, E., & Willingale, J. (2011). Current and future economic burden of osteoporosis in New Zealand. Applied Health Economics & Health Policy, 9(2), 111-123.

Journal - Research Article

Patel, R., Sulzberger, L., Li, G., Mair, J., Morley, H., Ng-Wai Shing, M., O'Leary, C., Prakash, A., Robilliard, N., Rutherford, M., Sharpe, C., Shie, C., Sritharan, L., Turnbull, J., Whyte, I., Yu, H., Cleghorn, C., Leung, W., & Wilson, N. (2015). Smartphone apps for weight loss and smoking cessation: Quality ranking of 120 apps. New Zealand Medical Journal, 128(1421). Retrieved from https://www.nzma.org.nz/journal

Journal - Research Other

Wilson, N., Selak, V., Blakely, T., Knight, J., Nghiem, N., Leung, W., … Jackson, R. (2016). Decision-making in an era of cancer prevention via aspirin: New Zealand needs updated guidelines and risk calculators. New Zealand Medical Journal, 129(1431), 85-92. Retrieved from https://www.nzma.org.nz/journal

Journal - Research Other

Gage, R., Leung, W., & Signal, L. (2019). A burning hole in New Zealand health policy: Key informant views on the barriers holding back skin cancer prevention. Proceedings of the 23rd International Union for Health Promotion and Education (IUHPE) World Conference on Health Promotion. Retrieved from http://www.iuhpe2019.com