Babak Abassi

Professor Babak Abbasi

Head of Department of Information Systems and Business Analytics

Outside of SAB building. Building is decorated with angled panels reflecting shadows on the wall. Wall colours vary between black, blue, white and light red colours.
Babak Abassi profile photo

Contact details

COBL | School of Accounting, Information, Systems and Supply Chain


Centre for Information Discovery and Data Analytics


Global Transport and Logistics Research Group


Emailbabak.abbasi@rmit.edu.au


Phone: +61 39925 0940


Campus: Melbourne City


Programs

 IBH104 - Business Analytics


More information

Professor Babak Abbasi's research focuses on industry‐motivated quantitative modeling and decision making under uncertainty applied to health care delivery improvement, supply chain coordination, resources allocation, service operations management, and manufacturing.

He was the recipient of RMIT Research Impact Award (Enterprise) in 2016 and RMIT Award for Excellence – Industry Engagement in Graduate Research in 2020.

Overview

Professor Babak's teaching and research is in the area of Business Analytics, Decision Sciences, Operations Research, Machine Learning, Operations Management and Optimisation.

His research investigates leveraging the broader context in mathematical modelling, machine learning and stochastic optimisation to improve decisions making in the businesses and not-for-profit organisations. He has advanced optimisation models and solution algorithms for practical problems such as inventory decisions in blood management, resource allocation in hospital including intensive care units (ICUs) and emergency departments, inventory transshipment decisions, resource allocation for emergency responses, allocation and scheduling of caregivers for home healthcare systems, and donor communication decisions in charities and not-for-profit organisations.

Professor Babak's research has been published in reputable journals such as Decision Sciences, European Journal of Operational Research and INFORMS Journal of Applied Analytics. He is currently an associate editor for Decision Sciences journal.

Professor Babak has been involved in the software development including:

 

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Industry experience

The nature of Professor Babak's research is industry‐motivated and data-driven. He has worked with several industry partners including Australian Red Cross Blood Life, KPMG, The City of Melbourne, Geoscience Australia, Fonterra, and The Florey Institute of Neuroscience and Mental Health.

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Research

Professor Babak's current research focus is intersection of machine learning and optimisation to better capture uncertainty and ambiguity in business decision-making.

He has strong research collaboration networks and has been working with academics form other institutions including Yale University, University of Washington, Cornell University, Hong Kong Polytechnic University, University of Melbourne, University of Barcelona, University of Virginia and Michigan State University. He is a member the national committee for the Australian Society for Operations Research’s and was the co-chair of the ASOR scientific committee of the Australian Society of Operations Research 2018 conference.

Research output summary

100+

Publications

31

h-index in Google Scholar

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Supervisor interest areas

  • Data-Driven Optimization
  • Supply Chain Optimisation
  • Healthcare Analytics 
  • Blood Supply Chain Management
  • Intersection of Machine Learning and Optimisation 
  • Operations Research
  • Disaster Management
  • Stochastic Optimisation
  • Service Level Agreements
  • Supply Chain Disruption

Supervisor projects

  • Intersection of Machine Learning in Optimisation for Decision Making (improving practical decision making by embedding machine learning in optimisation framework)
  • Enhancing the data-driven robust optimisation
  • Blood Supply Chain Improvement

Feature publications

Predicting solutions of large-scale optimization problems via machine learning: a case study in blood supply chain management.

Computers & Operations Research, 119, 1-20

Abbasi, B., Babaei, T., Hosseinifard, Z., Smith-Miles, K. and Dehghani, M., (2020).

Allocation policies to fulfill heterogeneous service requirements under resource pooling

Decision Sciences

Abbasi, B., Fadaki, M. and Hosseinifard, Z., Jahani, H., Thomas, D., (2020).

Impacts of reducing the shelf life of red blood cells: A view from down under

INFORMS Journal on Applied Analytics 47 (4), 336-351.

B Abbasi, G Vakili, S Chesneau, (2017).

Key publications by year

  •  Roozbeh, I, Hearne, J, Abbasi, B, Ozlen, M. Decision support for wildre asset protection: A two-stage stochastic programming approach. Transportation Research Part E, 2021.

  • Abbasi, B., Fadaki, M. and Hosseinifard, Z., Jahani, H., Thomas, D., 2020. Allocation policies to fulfill heterogeneous service requirements under resource pooling. Decision Sciences, In-press (Online Published).
  • Nikzad, E., Bashiri, M. and Abbasi, B., 2020. A matheuristic algorithm for stochastic home healthcare planning. European Journal of Operational Research, In-press (Online Published).
  • Abbasi, B., Babaei, T., Hosseinifard, Z., Smith-Miles, K. and Dehghani, M., 2020. Predicting solutions of large-scale optimization problems via machine learning: a case study in blood supply chain management. Computers & Operations Research, 119, 1-20.
  • Jahani, H., Abbasi, B., Hosseinifard, Z., Fadaki, M. and Minas, J.P., 2020. Disruption risk management in service-level agreements. International Journal of Production Research, pp.1-19.
  • Z Hosseinifard, B Abbasi, M Fadaki, N Clay, 2020. Post-disaster volatility of blood donations in an unsteady blood supply chain. Decision Sciences, 51(2), 255-281.
  • M Babagolzadeh, A Shrestha, B Abbasi, Y Zhang, A Woodhead, A Zhang, 2020. Sustainable cold supply chain management under demand uncertainty and carbon tax regulation. Transportation Research Part D: Transport and Environment, 80, 1-30.
  • R Roozbahani, B Abbasi, S Schreider, Z Hosseinifard, 2020. A basin-wide approach for water allocation and dams location-allocation. Annals of Operations Research, 323-349.

  • M Dehghani, B Abbasi, F Oliveira, 2019. Proactive transshipment in the blood supply chain A stochastic programming approach. Omega, In-press (Online Published).
  • H Jahani, B Abbasi, S Talluri, 2019. Supply chain network redesign: a technical note on optimizing financial performance. Decision Sciences, 50(6), 1319-1353.
  • A Nasirian, M Arashpour, B Abbasi, A Akbarnezhad, 2019. Optimal work assignment to multiskilled resources in prefabricated construction. Journal of Construction Engineering and Management 145 (4), 04019011.
  • I Mohammadian, A Abareshi, B Abbasi, M Goh, 2019. Airline capacity decisions under supply-demand equilibrium of Australia's domestic aviation market. Transportation Research Part A: Policy and Practice 119, 108-121.
  • I Mohammadian, B Abbasi, A Abareshi, M Goh, 2019. Antecedents of flight delay in the Australian domestic market. Transportation Research Interdisciplinary Perspectives, 1, 1-9.
  • A Nasirian, M Arashpour, B Abbasi, EK Zavadskas, A Akbarnezhad 2019. Skill set configuration in prefabricated construction: hybrid optimization and multicriteria decision-making approach. Journal of Construction Engineering and Management 145 (9), 04019050.

  • B Abbasi, Z Hosseinifard, O Alamri, D Thomas, JP Minas, 2018. Finite time horizon fill rate analysis for multiple customer cases. Omega, 76, April 2018, 1-17.
  • H Jahani, B Abbasi, F Alavi Fard, S Talluri, 2018, Supply chain network redesign with demand and price uncertainty, International Journal of Production Economics 205 (November 2018), 287-312.
  • M Dehghani, B Abbasi, 2018, An age-based lateral-transshipment policy for perishable items. International Journal of Production Economics. 198, 93-103.
  • Z Hosseinifard, B Abbasi, 2018. The inventory centralization impacts on sustainability of the blood supply chain. Computers and Operations Research, 89, 206-212.
  • B Bodaghi, E Palneeswaran, B Abbasi, 2018. Bi-objective multi-resource scheduling problem for emergency relief operations, Production Planning and Control. 29, 1191-1206.
  • M Arashpour, V Kamat, Y Bai, R Wakefield, B Abbasi, 2018. Optimization modeling of multi-skilled resources in orefabrication: theorizing cost analysis of process integration in o-site construction. Automation in construction 95, 1-9.
  • O Alamri, B Abbasi, JP Minas, P Zeephongsekul, 2018, Service level agreements: ready-rate analysis with lump-sum and linear penalty structures. Journal of the Operational Research Society 69 (1), 142-155.
  • A Nasirian, M Arashpour, B Abbasi, 2018, Critical literature review of labor multiskilling in construction. Journal of Construction Engineering and Management 145 (1), 04018113. (Selected as the Editor's Choice Collection)
  • M Arashpour, R Wakeeld, B Abbasi, M Arashpour, R Hosseini, 2018, Optimal process integration architectures in o-site construction: theorizing the use of multi-skilled resources. Architectural Engineering and Design Management 14 (1-2), 46-59.

  • M Arashpour, B Abbasi, M Arashpour, MR Hosseini, R Yang, 2017. Integrated management of on-site, coordination and off-site uncertainty: Theorizing risk analysis within a hybrid project setting. International Journal of Project Management 35 (4), 647-655.
  • B Abbasi, G Vakili, S Chesneau, 2017, Impacts of reducing the shelf life of red blood cells: A view from down under. INFORMS Journal on Applied Analytics 47 (4), 336-351.
  • M Dillon, F Oliveira, B Abbasi, 2017. A two-stage stochastic programming model for inventory management in the blood supply chain, International Journal of Production Economics 187, 27-41.
  • Shahsavar, A., Zoraghi, N., Abbasi, B., 2017, Integration of resource investment problem with quantity discount problem in material ordering for minimizing resource costs of projects. Operational Research: An International Journal, 18: 315-342.
  • Roozbahani, R., Abbasi, B., Schreider, S., 2017, Determining location and capacity of dams through economic and environmental indicators, Water Resource Management, 31: 4539-4556.
  • S Shahparvari, B Abbasi, 2017, Robust stochastic vehicle routing and scheduling for bushfire emergency evacuation: An Australian case study. Transportation Research Part A: Policy and Practice 104, 32-49.

  • Keshtkaran, M., Churilov, L.,Hearne, J., Abbasi, B., Meretoja, A., 2016. Validation of a decision support model for investigation and improvement in stroke thrombolysis. European Journal of Operational Research 253 (1), 154-169.
  • Shahparvari, S., Chhetri, P., Abbasi, B., Abareshi, A., 2016. Enhancing emergency evacuation response of late evacuees: Revisiting the case of Australian Black Saturday bushfire. Transportation Research Part E: Logistics and Transportation Review 93, 148-176.
  • M Arashpour, R Wakeeld, B Abbasi, EWM Lee, J Minas, 2016. O-site construction optimization: Sequencing multiple job classes with time constraints. Automation in construction 71, 262-270.
  • Clay, N., Abbasi, B., Eberhard, A., Hearne, J., 2016. On the volatility of blood inventories. International Transactions in Operational Research, 25(1), 215-242.
  • Zoraghi, N., Shahsavar, A., Abbasi, B., Van Peteghem, V., 2016. Multi-mode resource-constrained project scheduling problem with material ordering under bonus{penalty policies, TOP, 25(1), 49-79.

  • Roozbahani, R., Abbasi, B. Schreider, S., 2015. Optimal allocation of water to competing stakeholders in a shared watershed, Annals of Operations Research. 229(1), 657-676.
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Feature projects

Cybersecurity risks and stock market connectedness

Improving the blood supply chain for red blood cells

Industry partner: Australian Red Cross Blood Life

Specialist review of IgG and TP Levels in plasma donors

Industry partner: Australian Red Cross Blood Life

Key projects

  • Parking Infringements Data Mining at City of Melbourne (Industry partner: City of Melbourne Council).
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Awards

2020 RMIT Award for Excellence; Industry Engagement in Graduate Research

Award date: 2020

Recipients: Babak Abassi

RMIT University Research Impact Award (Enterprise)

Award date: 2016

Recipients: Babak Abassi

Endeavour Fellowship Award

Award date: 2009

Recipients: Babak Abassi

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Public and media engagements

2020

2020

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Acknowledgement of Country

RMIT University acknowledges the people of the Woi wurrung and Boon wurrung language groups of the eastern Kulin Nation on whose unceded lands we conduct the business of the University. RMIT University respectfully acknowledges their Ancestors and Elders, past and present. RMIT also acknowledges the Traditional Custodians and their Ancestors of the lands and waters across Australia where we conduct our business - Artwork 'Luwaytini' by Mark Cleaver, Palawa.

aboriginal flag
torres strait flag

Acknowledgement of Country

RMIT University acknowledges the people of the Woi wurrung and Boon wurrung language groups of the eastern Kulin Nation on whose unceded lands we conduct the business of the University. RMIT University respectfully acknowledges their Ancestors and Elders, past and present. RMIT also acknowledges the Traditional Custodians and their Ancestors of the lands and waters across Australia where we conduct our business.