Huong Nguyen

Dr. Kim-Huong Nguyen is a Senior Lecturer in Health Economics in the School of Public Health at the University of Queensland, Faculty of Health and Behavioural Sciences. She obtained her Doctor of Philosophy in Economics from the University of Queensland in 2010, with a thesis titled Essays on hospital efficiency measurement, and a Master's degree by coursework from the same institution. Her research centers on health economics, focusing on the efficient and equitable allocation of resources to support brain health in disadvantaged populations. Nguyen applies economic methods and theories to evaluate interventions, programs, and public policies for neurodegenerative diseases, brain injuries, mental disorders, aged care quality measurement, and youth mental health system reform.

In her professional career, Nguyen holds the position of Senior Lecturer and is affiliated with the Centre for Health Services Research. As a Global Atlantic Fellow for Equity in Brain Health with the Global Brain Health Institute (Trinity College Dublin and University of California, San Francisco), she completed one-year onsite training and led multidisciplinary collaborations, including a joint publication on hope and brain health and an Erasmus++-funded implementation report for the Creativity and Well-Being for Personal and Professional Growth initiative. She has supervised PhD candidates as principal and associate advisor on topics such as welfare economics, heuristics and biases in aged care budgeting, and cost-effectiveness analyses. Nguyen has obtained grants including the NHMRC MRFF Dementia, Ageing and Aged Care Mission grant for translating core outcome measures for dementia care (2021–2024), National Injury Insurance Agency funding for capacity building in cognitive rehabilitation (2025–2028), and Alzheimer's Association funding for developing a culturally valid quality of life measure for Vietnam (2025–2026).

Her extensive publication record exceeds 100 outputs, encompassing books, journal articles, and conference papers. Key works include the co-edited book Dementia care and provision in the majority world: epidemiology, diagnosis and care in low- and middle-income nations (Routledge, 2025); Cost-benefit analysis of interventions for dementia: a scoping review (Innovation in Aging, 2025); The health and economic benefits of youth mental health system reform: exploring the optimal mix of interventions and service capacity through simulation modelling (Value in Health, 2026); Modeled estimates of the health outcomes and economic value of improving the social determinants of mental health (Nature Mental Health, 2025); Next generation brain health: transforming global research and public health to promote prevention of dementia and reduce its risk in young adult populations (The Lancet Healthy Longevity, 2024); and Participatory systems modelling for youth mental health: agility and adaptiveness to enhance stakeholder engagement and knowledge sharing (International Journal of Mental Health Systems, 2025). Nguyen's contributions advance economic evaluations and policy-making in brain health and public health equity.

Professional Email: kim.h.nguyen@uq.edu.au