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Biography

Professor Watson is internationally recognized for advancing discrete choice experiments in health economics for over 25 years. Her research addresses the fundamental question: "does this method actually measure what we think it measures?" focusing on methodological rigor and validity in preference elicitation.

Professor Watson has contributed to over £19 million in competitive research funding as an investigator on 25+ grants from GCRF, ESRC, MRC, NIHR, and Chief Scientist Office. Her research has generated 75+ peer-reviewed publications (5,258 citations; h-index: 33) in leading journals including Journal of Economic Behavior and Organization, Health Economics, Social Science and Medicine, and The Lancet Public Health.

She has supervised eight PhD students to completion and serves as international PhD examiner and was a Chief Scientist Office grant review panel member. Professor Watson was International Visiting Scholar at the Peter Wall Institute for Advanced Studies, University of British Columbia.

Professor Watson currently is a Senior Economist in the Health Preference Assessment group at RTI Health Solutions, leading preference research studies supporting regulatory submissions and health technology assessments for pharmaceutical companies. She serves on the Editorial Board of The Patient - Patient-Centered Outcomes Research.

She created the one of the most-viewed educational video on DCEs (7.9k+ views) and regularly contributes to industry publications including ISPOR's Value & Outcomes Spotlight. At ISPOR 2025, she participated in the issue panel "Patient Preference Evidence in Health Technology Assessment: What Do We Really Know?"

Professor Watson was Personal Chair at HERU, leading the Preference and Value research theme until 2024. She continues as Honorary Professor since 2024.

CV.pdf

Research Overview

Professor Watson's research focuses on the validity and reliability of stated preference methods, particularly discrete choice experiments and contingent valuation. Her work addresses the fundamental question: "does this method actually measure what we think it measures?"

She examines the cognitive processes underlying preference elicitation and investigates factors that influence response quality, developing approaches to improve the reliability of preference data. This methodological focus on validity testing has established best practices that guide researchers in understanding when and how stated preference methods can be reliably applied across different contexts and populations.

Professor Watson's research spans health economics, environmental economics, and public policy applications, bridging methodological innovation with real-world implementation. Her work enables pharmaceutical companies, researchers, and policymakers to make confident decisions based on robust preference evidence.

Through her role at RTI Health Solutions, Professor Watson translates academic research advances directly into practical applications that inform healthcare decision-making and pharmaceutical development.

Knowledge Exchange

Professor Watson is committed to making preference research methodology accessible to diverse audiences beyond academia. She created an animated educational video on discrete choice experiments that has become the most-viewed resource on this topic globally (7.9k+ views), reaching thousands of researchers, students, and industry professionals.

She regularly contributes thought leadership to industry publications, including ISPOR's Value & Outcomes Spotlight, and presents at major international conferences. At ISPOR 2025, she will participate in the issue panel "Patient Preference Evidence in Health Technology Assessment: What Do We Really Know?" and delivered a podium presentation on valuing healthcare outdoor spaces.

Through her role at RTI Health Solutions, Professor Watson directly translates academic research into practical applications for pharmaceutical companies and healthcare organizations. The annual DCE course that Professor Watson co-created in 2003 has trained over 500 professionals globally, establishing methodological best practices across academic, government, and industry sectors.

Non-course Teaching Responsibilities

In 2003, Professor Watson co-created the internationally recognized course "Using Discrete Choice Experiments in Health Economics," which she continues to teach annually in Aberdeen and internationally. Over 22 years, this course has trained 500+ researchers and industry professionals from academic institutions, pharmaceutical companies, and consulting firms worldwide, establishing DCE best practices across the field.

Professor Watson is committed to making complex methodology accessible. Her animated educational video on discrete choice experiments has become the most-viewed resource on this topic globally, reaching thousands of researchers, students, and industry professionals.