A passion for strengthening the evidence base for health system pricing reform and digitally enabled models of care led Deniza Mazevska to pursue a National Industry PhD (NIPhD) project, exploring how funding policies influence the implementation, uptake and sustainability of virtual care.
Although Deniza is in the early stages of her research program in the Faculty of Medicine and Health, she is already reaping the benefits of working in a NIPhD partnership with the Independent Health and Aged Care Pricing Authority (IHACPA).
IHACPA is the national authority responsible for independent pricing and funding advice for Australia's public hospital and aged care systems. The NIPhD partnership provides a unique opportunity to connect research directly with the policy environment in which future funding decisions are made.
“I'm only three months into my PhD, but already I can see that the collaboration with my industry partner is starting to spark ideas on both sides,” she said.
“I love research, and I would have done a PhD anyway, but connecting to the people who might use these findings is a very important component for me.”
Deniza's project is supervised by Professor Kees van Gool, Professor of Health Policy and Systems at the University of Sydney, who successfully secured two NIPhD projects in 2025 across the program's Industry Linked and Industry Researcher streams. Professor van Gool also holds a joint appointment with IHACPA, reflecting the strong industry engagement underpinning the project.
The NIPhD program is an Australian Government initiative designed to assist PhD candidates to undertake a co-designed research project under appropriate academic and industry supervision. Through this model, Deniza is gaining exposure not only to academic research but also to the real-world policy, funding and implementation challenges facing Australia's healthcare system.
“I'm really benefiting from being connected to IHACPA's thinking about the topic, and I'm taking those insights back into the research to think about the bigger policy and funding challenges,” she said.
“It gives me a clearer line of sight of how those research findings might be used. But it's that practical relevance, the possibility that the findings may be used, that makes a difference.”
Working with IHACPA directly and not just reading about the topic makes the whole policy area come alive.
Deniza Mazevska
PhD candidate in the Faculty of Medicine and Health
Focusing on creating practical solutions that are sustainable and future-focused is central to Deniza’s research into how funding and pricing policy can support the implementation of virtual care. This is a rapidly evolving area of health policy with global significance for access, equity and efficiency.
“Working with IHACPA directly and not just reading about the topic makes the whole policy area come alive.”
She said IHACPA is thinking beyond just the current challenges and aims to implement sustainable solutions for the long-term.
“I'm hoping to develop something that is future-focused, not just something to solve a problem right now.”
Alongside her existing experience in health system consulting, the industry PhD is helping Deniza develop valuable skills in research translation, stakeholder engagement and communicating complex evidence to decision-makers. These capabilities are increasingly important for researchers seeking to drive change across government, industry and healthcare settings.
“My real focus in this PhD is around translating complex evidence into useful insights. I've only been doing my PhD for a short time, but there's a lot I've already uncovered, and the challenge is around how to communicate this to people who are making decisions on policy.”
While working with both an industry partner and an academic supervisor may seem daunting, Deniza encourages anyone considering applying for an industry PhD-engaged research pathway to take the plunge.
“I think working with an industry partner really strengthens the relevance of the research. The increased likelihood that your results will be useful because they're shaped in a way that addresses real issues and real-world problems, not just some abstract thing, makes it exciting,” she said.