Dr Rita Santos is a senior research fellow at the Centre for Health Economics (CHE), University of York. She is a health economist with extensive experience in developing and applying methods for causal inference, including matching, weighting, and difference-in-differences, utilising data from administrative health records and other real-world data sources. She is renowned for her innovative applications of spatial statistics and spatial econometrics in health policy and health economics.

As a senior research fellow at the CHE, University of York, my contributions extend beyond the health sector, with publications in prestigious mainstream economics journals such as the Economic Journal and the Journal of Economic Behavior and Organization, as well as impactful work in Regional and Social Science journals.

She is a Principal Investigator or Co-Investigator on several successful grants. Currently, she is a co-investigator on projects such as “ESHCRU 3 - Economics of Health Systems and Interface with Social Care Policy Research Unit,” “Healthy Sustainable Places: A Systems Approach To Understanding How Designing Better Living Environments Can Improve Population Health And Reduce Inequality,” and “Health Determinants Research Collaborations (HDRCs).” Her commitment to research with policy impact is exemplified by her instrumental contributions to projects used by the NHS Strategy Unit for modelling future hospital development programs.