LCP has appointed Dr Ben Bray - a medical doctor and epidemiologist with a clinical background in nephrology and public health - as a Principal in its Health Analytics team.

Ben will bring over 10 years’ experience in academia and industry in health data science as well as deep rooted expertise in designing and executing scientific studies using real world health data. He has also developed advanced analytics solutions to support healthcare providers and life sciences companies.

His previous roles have included Head of Epidemiology for Data Science, and Principal in Genomics at a leading contract research organisation, Clinical Lead (Stroke) for the National Cardiovascular Intelligence Network of Public Health England, and Clinical Advisor to NHS England and NHS Kidney Care. He is Honorary Senior Clinical Lecturer at King’s College London, where he works on research into machine learning analytics using large health databases, is an author on more than 40 peer reviewed publications and sits on the editorial board of the Drug Safety journal.

Ben has completed a BSc in Neuroscience, MBChB (Medicine) and MD (Epidemiology) at the University of Edinburgh, and a Masters in Public Health at the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine. He is a Member of the Royal College of Physicians and Faculty of Public Health, and Fellow of the Faculty of Clinical Informatics.

This senior appointment will further bolster the expertise of the Health Analytics team at LCP which has grown substantially since it was established in 2020. Andrew Thompson, Mei Chan and Robert King all joined in recent months, bringing with them specialist skills across the health spectrum. The team’s data-driven approach combines actuarial, statistical and machine learning expertise to bring to light the health needs of populations. It is committed to building a more comprehensive approach to capturing health impacts and costs of chronic diseases and their related conditions.

To date, the Health Analytics team has developed cutting-edge analysis and insights around the UK population’s health and multimorbidity linked to type 2 diabetes. It has developed a corresponding Health Index Tracker and Type 2 Diabetes Tracker and has also built explorers of Covid-19 prevalence and Waiting List variances across England. 

Dr Jonathan Pearson-Stuttard, head of LCP’s Health Analytics team, said: "We are delighted that Ben has joined LCP Health Analytics at this important and exciting time in our growth. Our first year has confirmed the overwhelming need to bring clarity to increasingly complex health demands from ageing populations with increasing multimorbidity. Ben’s expertise across industry, academia and clinical medicine gives him a unique perspective to leverage the latest data and our cutting-edge modelling to put timely actionable data in the hands of key stakeholders to address these challenges and drive a healthier tomorrow."

Dr Ben Bray, commented: "I am very excited to be joining the Health Analytics team at this important time in its evolution and growth. The team has advanced impressively over the past 12 months, and I look forward to working alongside them to help build on the work to date in supporting decision makers to drive better health outcomes."