Research Projects
My modus operandi is to use mathematical models to develop managerial insights into the management of systems of interest, along with optimal process and policies to improve these systems. The methodologies used often include various flavors of optimization (linear, nonlinear, integer, robust,...), probabilistic models, simulations, and data analytics. Some ongoing projects include the following:
Public Health Research
Screening for Genetic Disorders: In this project we study how best to screen for genetic disorders. Currently, we focus on newborn screening, a state-level initiative that tests newborns for a set of genetic disorders. Screening for a genetic disorder can involve multiple tests, and a complex screening process. We study how to optimize these screening processes to maximize accuracy, equity, and efficiency (and study the trade-offs that are often present between these objectives) under uncertainty. Other related problems include choice of disorders for screening (states often screen for different sets of disorders), logistics of samples and reporting, and technology management.
Screening for Infectious Diseases: In this project we study how best to screen for infectious infectious diseases in the general population or in the blood supply chain. This includes the use of multiplex assays, pooling, and selecting groups to test, and how screening and vaccination/ treatment should be combined into a mitigation strategy.
Surveillance for Vector Borne Diseases: In this project we study how best to perform surveillance for vector borne diseases, including those endemic to a region (e.g., Lyme Disease and Babesiosis in the Northeastern US), potentially emerging (Lyme Disease and Babesiosis in the Southeastern US), and/or those that could be introduced (e.g., West Nile virus, Zika virus).
The following grants have partially supported this public health research:
Screening for Infectious Diseases: In this project we study how best to screen for infectious infectious diseases in the general population or in the blood supply chain. This includes the use of multiplex assays, pooling, and selecting groups to test, and how screening and vaccination/ treatment should be combined into a mitigation strategy.
Surveillance for Vector Borne Diseases: In this project we study how best to perform surveillance for vector borne diseases, including those endemic to a region (e.g., Lyme Disease and Babesiosis in the Northeastern US), potentially emerging (Lyme Disease and Babesiosis in the Southeastern US), and/or those that could be introduced (e.g., West Nile virus, Zika virus).
The following grants have partially supported this public health research:
- GOALI: Pooled screening design for disease biomarkers. National Science Foundation (#1761842).
- Optimal blood screening strategies for infectious agents: Mathematical models and decision support tools. National Science Foundation (#1129688).
Emergency Management Research
Emergency Response: In this project we study how best to plan for, and manage, emergency responses such as hospital evacuations, regional evacuations (including both automobile and bus based evacuations), and mass casualty incidents. Emergency responses are complex problems, e.g., hospital evacuations require hundreds of interrelated resource allocation and scheduling decisions, which must be made to minimize the risk to patients, which stems from both the threat (e.g., an earthquake or hurricane) and the evacuation process itself (medically, it is not ideal to transfer many patients). The regional evacuation research studies how to manage automobile based evacuations using both supply and demand techniques. The bus-based evacuation research studies evacuation planning for those without reliable access to an automobile.
The following grants have partially supported this emergency management research:
The following grants have partially supported this emergency management research:
- CAREER: Decision support models for hospital and regional evacuations. National Science Foundation (#1055360);
- Planning decision support tools for large-scale pediatric emergencies. Carilion Clinic.
- Optimization-based decision support tools for hospital evacuations. Carilion Clinic.
- Review of hospital evacuation best practices. Carilion Clinic.
- Evacuation planning with demand management. National Science Foundation (#0825611).