Professor Maureen Mackintosh

Professional biography

The interaction of industrial change and health sector performance, with particular reference to pharmaceuticals and other health commodities such as diagnostics. The economics of markets in social sectors, especially markets for health services and pharmaceuticals.  The organisation of health systems and their impact on poverty and inequality, notably in African contexts. The role of NGOs in access to essential medicines in low income countries. The economics of health services and development with particular reference to Africa.

Recent research projects include:

GCRF Inclusive societies: How to link industrial and social innovation for inclusive development: lessons from tackling cancer care in Africa. 2018-2021 Principal investigator Collaboration with Kenyan researchers (KEMRI, Nairobi), Tanzanian researchers (ESRF, Dar es Salaam), Indian researchers (NCBS, Bengaluru) and UK researchers (Universities of Edinburgh, Sussex and UCL)

Ethics, Payments and Maternal Survival: Wellcome Trust-funded project; 2011-13 Co-investigator; Principal Investigator Dr Paula Tibandebage, Research on Poverty Alleviation (REPOA), Tanzania.

Industrial productivity, health sector performance and policy synergies for inclusive growth: a study in Tanzania and Kenya: DFID-ESRC Growth Programme project 2011-14. Principal investigator. Collaborative project with Research on Poverty Alleviation (REPOA), Tanzania; African Centre for technology Studies (ACTS), Kenya; and RAND-Europe.

Other recent research projects include an international collaborative ESRC-funded project on Non-governmental public action to improve access by the poor to good quality low cost medicines, part of the ESRC Non-governmental Public Action (NGPA) research programme, with Prof Sudip Chaudhuri, Dr Phares Mujinja and Dr Meri Koivusalo: Non-governmental Action to Improve the Access of the Poor to Good Quality Low Cost Drugs. 

Prof Mackintosh is a past Director of the Open University's inter-faculty Centre for Innovation, Knowledge and Development (IKD). She is member of INNOGEN. She is a Fellow of the Royal Society of Arts. 

2022 Consultant for Institute of Economic Justice, Johannesburg, on localisation of medical manufacturing in Africa, with G. Banda, J Mugwagwa, A Mkwashi.

2017-18 Consultant for UNIDO, Vienna, on local production of pharmaceuticals in Africa.

2017 Consultant to BMZ, German Development Cooperation, on the implications for health system strengthening of local production of pharmaceuticals in Sub-Saharan Africa.

2022 Member, AHRC Health Disparities moderating panel.  

2019 Chair, GCRF commissioning panel: Education as a Driver of Sustainable Development.

2018 Chair, ESRC Roundtable, review of ESRC participation in the Health Systems Research Initiative.

2017-date Member, ESRC Peer Review College

2017 Invited presentation to Inter-Agency Pharmaceutical Coordination (IPC) Group (WHO-chaired)

2017 Invited expert, UNIDO expert group on supporting the pharmaceutical industry in Africa.

2017 Member,Medical Research Council: Antimicrobial Resistance Global Award 2017 Panel

2016  Member, Commissioning Panel on Tackling antimicrobial resistance: behaviour within and beyond the healthcare setting: ESRC-led.

2014-2016  Member of the Health Systems Research Initiative funding panel.

2007 Member, Health Systems Knowledge Network, Commission on Social Determinants of Health.