Barbara McPake

Professor Barbara McPake is a Professor of Health Economics (Honorary) in the Melbourne School of Population and Global Health, Faculty of Medicine, Dentistry and Health Sciences, at the University of Melbourne. She earned her PhD in Health Economics from the University of Wales College of Medicine. Over three decades, McPake has built an illustrious career in health economics, policy, and systems research across prominent institutions. She lectured in Health Economics at the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine from 1991 to 2005, where she also headed the Health Policy Unit. From 2005 to 2014, she directed the Institute for International Health and Development at Queen Margaret University, Edinburgh. In July 2014, she joined the University of Melbourne as Professor and Director of the Nossal Institute for Global Health, leading it until 2023 and elevating its global stature in health systems strengthening.

McPake's research centers on health financing, health economics, and health systems, applying economic theories to challenges in low- and middle-income countries, including health workforce dynamics, public sector contracting, hospital reforms, and health issues in conflict-affected settings. Her current focus examines economic, demographic, and epidemiological transitions in middle-income countries, addressing emerging infectious diseases, rising inequalities, and chronic disease epidemics. She is principal author of the seminal textbook Health Economics: An International Perspective, first published in 2001 with subsequent editions up to 2020. Notable contributions include Analyzing Markets for Health Workers: Insights from Labor and Health Economics (World Bank, 2014) and The Economics of Health Professional Education and Careers (World Bank, 2015), alongside influential articles in journals such as The Lancet. As Director of the UK Department for International Development-supported Knowledge Program on Health Systems Development and Research Director for the ReBUILD consortium, her scholarship has profoundly influenced international health policy and practice.

Professional Email: barbara.mcpake@unimelb.edu.au