Oskar Frisell, doctoral student at Health Economics and Economic Evaluation

Tell us a bit about yourself and your background. What did you do before you started your doctoral studies?

When I was seven, I wrote in my diary in primary school that when I grow up I want to be an economist, just like my uncle Bengt. From that day I knew where I was going and here I am today. The road was not straight; I spent five years working in childcare and caring for people with special needs before applying to my bachelor’s program at Linköping University in 2014. After graduating I started working at the Centre for Medical Technology Assessment (CMT) as a research assistant in 2017, working primarily with precision medicine. While at CMT I got my master’s degree in 2020 and had planned to pursue my PhD at LiU but when the pandemic hit, I realized I needed a change of scenery and moved to Stockholm to work as a market access consultant. After a few years doing that, I joined the Swedish Institute for Health Economics where I am now.

How did you become interested in doing research and what made you want to be a doctoral student at our department LIME?  

I have two strong role models in the field of health economics that I’ve looked up to since I was a kid. You could say they are the biggest reasons. Why LIME? The choice was simple: my boss at IHE – Peter Lindgren – is an adjunct professor at LIME and my principal supervisor.

If you were to describe your current doctoral research project in one or two sentences for a class of eight-year-olds, how would you describe it? 

Imagine three kids sharing a small ice cream budget. They all like different flavours, and some can't eat certain kinds of ice cream. My research is about figuring out how to choose the right ice cream for each kid and spend the money wisely. I do the same thing with medicines.

Can you tell us about your PhD research project? What makes your research stand out?

My research is about understanding precision medicine, the challenges with assessment and evaluation from a resource perspective. I am concurrently heading the health economics work in Genomic Medicine Sweden which is a national initiative to introduce advanced genomics-based diagnostics in Swedish care. Through GMS I am at the forefront of what precision medicine is. 

What are you working on right now and in the nearest months?

This week I’m attending a meeting in Amsterdam, GMS is signing a memorandum of understanding with the Hartwig Foundation, and I will meet with fellow health economists from the Netherlands to discuss potential collaborations. After that I will be attending a two day meeting with the Pharmacogenomic working group in GMS and present one of my doctoral studies on evaluating a pharmacogenomic panel as complement to current genomic analyses in solid tumors. 

What is the best and most interesting part of being a doctoral student? 

Getting a discount on Arlanda express. Jokes aside, being able to find my own way and think outside the box to solve problems that perhaps nobody or very few have tried solving before. 

Can you describe the challenges (if any) in being a student at doctoral level? 

I manage my own time completely and all my research projects are part of my work at IHE making it very easy for me to manage my time. This of course comes with a significant amount of responsibility and self-management. Also having worked in the field for almost a decade before starting helps, as I already know the ropes to quite a large extent.

What is your relationship with other doctoral students like?

This is the one thing I have not prioritized due to having a lot on my plate but need to change!

What do you like to do when you are not doing research? 

In my free time I enjoy playing computer games as I grew up with the advent of MMORPGs playing Tibia from the age of 7. It’s a great way to disconnect. However, these days I mostly play Premier Manager 99 and the Sims 2. Occasionally World of Warcraft classic.

I also enjoy spending time with my partner, being out in the archipelago with family, and when my body allows me to, I do a lot of Brazilian jiujitsu (BJJ), a hobby I’ve had for the better part of 17 years. For the last few years, I’ve also done a lot of teaching, which helps me a lot when I’m out presenting or when I feel that my work is pressuring. Nothing is more challenging than having your friends try to choke you unconscious. When I’m on the mat, I am the most happy, after spending time with my partner of course, and even if my day has been stressful and hard I always step off the mat completely zen. If you want to try BJJ, hit me up!

What do you envision yourself doing after graduation? 

Immediately after graduation I see myself sleeping for a year. That or doing the same thing I’m doing now, I’m quite happy.

Do you have any advice for someone thinking about applying for doctoral studies? 

The long answer is: I had the privilege of pretty much deciding my own research projects and the topic for my studies. For anyone who perhaps does not have that possibility I would recommend thinking long and hard if the research topic suggested for you is something you’re interested in. It makes everything a lot easier.

And the short one: Just do it.

Anything else you want to say? 

I am writing this text at 5:45 in the morning on a Sunday while waiting for my flight to Amsterdam. If you are a PhD student or if you plan on becoming one: don’t be like me and go for the cheapest flight at 6:30 in the morning, it’s not worth it. Even if your supervisor says it’ll build character.