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Dr Ryota Nakamura

Associate Professor

London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine
15-17 Tavistock Place
London
WC1H 9SH
United Kingdom

Ryota Nakamura is a health economist and an associate professor at LSHTM. He holds a BA and an MA in Economics from Kyoto University and a PhD in Economics from University of York. Prior to joining LSHTM in 2025, he held positions at University of East Anglia, University of York and Hitotsubashi University. His research interests include empirical and theoretical investigations of health financing and health behaviour, using a wide range of empirical approaches including RCT, quasi-experimental evaluation and evidence synthesis. 

Affiliations

Department of Global Health and Development
Faculty of Public Health and Policy

Centres

Centre for Data and Statistical Science for Health
Centre for Evaluation
Centre for Global Chronic Conditions
Global Health Economics Centre

Teaching

I have led or contributed to the following academic modules:

  1. Health Economic Analysis (Hitotsubashi University, postgraduate and advanced undergraduate level): Introduction to health economics and economic evaluation.
  2. Topics in Public Economics (Hitotsubashi University, postgraduate and advanced undergraduate level): Behavioral public policies.
  3. Seminars in Health Economics (Hitotsubashi University, postgraduate and advanced undergraduate level): Lectures on selected topics in health economics and health policy.
  4. Tutorials and Dissertation Supervision (Hitotsubashi University, postgraduate and undergraduate level): Dissertaion and project supervision.
  5. Introductory Statistics (University of Tokyo, undergraduate level): Fundamental concepts and theories in statistical analysis.
  6. Health Economics and Finance (National University of Singapore, Master of Public Health program): Introduction to health economics (delivered through three 3-hour lectures).

I have also organized and developed the content for the following professional training courses:

  1. Impact Evaluation of Public Health Policies for Health Technology Assessment (jointly with the National University of Singapore): A series of lectures and practical sessions on quasi-experimental methods for evaluating the impact of public health policies.
  2. Professional Training in Health Economics and Policy (Hitotsubashi University): A four-day professional training course covering policy evaluation, health technology assessment, and healthcare accounting.

Additionally, I have occasionally contributed to capacity-building activities in health technology assessment (HTA) in low- and middle-income countries in Asia and Africa.

Research

My research primarily focuses on two broad areas:

  1. Health Financing
    • Health financing reforms in Asia and Africa
    • Efficient and equitable health benefit package design (health technology assessment)
    • The impact of sin taxes in public health and financing
  2. Health Behaviour
    • Impact of financial incentives on health-related behaviours
    • Behavioural insights in health interventions and policy
    • Social determinants on health outcomes and behaviour
Research Area
Health economics
Public health
Health care financing
Health policy
Disease and Health Conditions
Non-communicable diseases
Chronic diseases
Infectious diseases
Country
United Kingdom
Japan
Thailand
Senegal
Bhutan
Region
East Asia & Pacific (all income levels)
Sub-Saharan Africa (developing only)
Europe & Central Asia (all income levels)

Selected Publications

Healthy lifestyle knowledge and age at hypertension diagnosis: a primary health care based survey in Bangladesh
Islam, MM; Hossain, MS; Rahman, MM; NAKAMURA, R; Sato, M;
2025
Journal of human hypertension
Overcoming barriers to primary care research in Japan: a call to action.
Rouyard, T; Yoda, E; NAKAMURA, R; Moriyama, M; Ii, M; Stanyon, M; Endo, M; Nakamura, K; Kanke, S; Kassai, R;
2025
Lancet Reg Health West Pac
Socio-demographic disparities in health-related quality of life in hypertensive patients in Bangladesh: a comprehensive survey analysis.
Rahman, MM; Sorkar, MN U; NAKAMURA, R; Islam, MM; Alam, MA; Azmat, SK; Sato, M;
2025
Quality of life research : an international journal of quality of life aspects of treatment, care and rehabilitation
The Physical Activity at Work (PAW) Program in Thai Office Workers: Mixed Methods Process Evaluation Study.
Akksilp, K; Rouyard, T; Isaranuwatchai, W; NAKAMURA, R; Müller-Riemenschneider, F; Teerawattananon, Y; CHEN, C;
2025
JMIR formative research
An empirical study looking at the potential impact of increasing cost-effectiveness threshold on reimbursement decisions in Thailand
Isaranuwatchai, W; Wang, Y; Soboon, B; Tungsanga, K; NAKAMURA, R; Wee, H-L; Botwright, S; Theantawee, W; Laoharuangchaiyot, J; Mongkolchaipak, T; Thathong, T; Kingkaew, P; Teerawattananon, Y;
2024
Health Policy and Technology
A systematic review and network meta-analysis of population-level interventions to tackle smoking behaviour.
Akter, S; Rahman, MM; Rouyard, T; Aktar, S; Nsashiyi, RS; NAKAMURA, R;
2024
Nature human behaviour
ryotanakamura1/smoking
NAKAMURA, R;
2024
Github
The Physical Activity at Work (PAW) Program in Thai Office Workers: Mixed Methods Process Evaluation Study (Preprint)
Akksilp, K; Rouyard, T; Isaranuwatchai, W; NAKAMURA, R; Müller-Riemenschneider, F; Teerawattananon, Y; Chen, C;
2024
JMIR Publications Inc.
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