Derek Foster

Uehiro Scholarship for Future Generations

Joining us from: United Kingdom
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DPhil Philosophy (2023)

I am a 2nd year DPhil student in Philosophy. My project aims to improve the measurement of health and wellbeing, with a focus on severe suffering. Quality and wellbeing adjusted life years (known as QALYs and WELBYs, respectively) are increasingly used to guide public policy, but in my view they underestimate the severity of the worst forms of physical and mental pain, which leads to an inefficient allocation of resources. Drawing on ideas and evidence from a variety of disciplines, I will provide a rigorous, philosophically-informed critique of current practice, suggest improvements, and assess the implications of my findings for real-world decision-making.

I am immensely grateful to the Uehiro Foundation for this opportunity. The scholarship has enabled me to give up my paid work as a health economist in order to conduct this research, which I hope will benefit people in the UK (my home country) and worldwide.