17 July 2026, by Brinkmann/Red.

Photo: privat

Prof. Dr. Carolin Brinkmann

Every year, numerous new researchers join the University of Hamburg. In this series, we introduce them and their fields of research. This time: Health economist Prof. Dr. Carolin Brinkmann.

Prof. Dr. Carolin Brinkmann has taken up a professorship in “Business Administration, with a focus on Healthcare Management” at the University of Hamburg Business School and will also be conducting research at the “Hamburg Center for Health Economics” (HCHE).

My research area in three sentences:

I conduct research on the management of innovations in the healthcare sector, which, in addition to traditional market access, must also overcome barriers related to reimbursement by health insurance companies. To determine a value or price for the innovation that is appropriate for both health insurance companies and manufacturers, the costs and benefits of the innovation can be assessed in comparison to the standard of care. This is known as health economic evaluation. I aim to use health economic evaluation and healthcare management to investigate the extent to which innovative health technologies or care models improve health and enhance quality of life given the resources invested.

This is how I explain my research to my family:

I’m researching how much a new therapy might be worth compared to the current standard of care. The following questions are key: How can we quantify that patients feel better as a result of a specific innovative treatment? What costs are incurred by this innovative treatment throughout the care pathway—that is, during prevention, treatment, and follow-up care? How do I relate this information to one another and compare it to the standard therapy?

In Hamburg, the city and the University, I am looking forward to:

I’m looking forward to networking with researchers, students, and staff at the University of Hamburg, the University of Hamburg Business School, and the HCHE!

These are my plans at the University of Hamburg (with regard to knowledge exchange, teaching, etc.):

The “Healthcare Management” research group led by Prof. Dr. Jonas Schreyögg and Prof. Dr. Tom Stargardt has secured funding for a project that will examine the extent to which genome sequencing should be incorporated into standard care provided by statutory health insurance plans. The National Association of Statutory Health Insurance Funds is funding the project, and I am very much looking forward to this research.

I will also be involved in grant proposals at the HCHE, such as the upcoming cohort of the Research Training Group “Managerial and Economic Dimensions of Healthcare Quality.” In addition, I would like to continue advancing the methodological development of quality-of-life measurement within evaluation methodologies.

This is why students should attend my courses:

Healthcare systems are a complex interplay of various perspectives and interests among their stakeholders. This makes it all the more exciting to analyze and critically reflect on solutions through mutual exchange and with the help of the knowledge we’ve acquired. Anyone who enjoys this can look forward to this kind of exchange in my courses!

Reaching out to the world—I work with the following international and federal institutions and universities:

In recent years, I’ve had the opportunity to conduct research on exciting projects alongside scholars at Erasmus University Rotterdam (Netherlands). Most recently, I’ve also established contacts in Portugal, Canada, Australia, and the United Kingdom, which are expected to lead to future research projects.

My research is important to society because:

Medical advances have led to remarkable successes in treating various diseases. At the same time, healthcare systems worldwide—including in Germany—face major funding challenges, meaning that companies cannot (currently) set prices freely with the expectation that health insurance providers will fully reimburse those costs. The conflicting interests between medical care, social well-being or individual health, and cost-effectiveness must be reconciled.

Through my research, I aim to generate evidence-based decision-making frameworks for policymakers that contribute to improving patient care and, thereby, public health, while also taking into account the costs associated with innovation.

(This content has been translated automatically.)