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Paul Harper

Professor Paul Harper

Professor of Operational Research

School of Mathematics

Email
Harper@cardiff.ac.uk
Telephone
+44 29208 76841
Campuses
Abacws, Room 2.56, Senghennydd Road, Cathays, Cardiff, CF24 4AG
Comment
Media commentator
Users
Available for postgraduate supervision

Overview

My research interests are in: stochastic OR, including queueing theory, simulation methods, optimisation and game theory; mathematical modelling of healthcare systems; prevention, early detection and treatment of diseases; stochastic methods for healthcare resources planning and management; machine learning approaches.

Author of more than 110 peer-reviewed papers and book chapters, I have been a named investigator on £16m of funded research grants, have supervised to successful completion 22 PhD students to-date and was a founding editor-in-chief of the international journal Health Systems (Taylor & Francis).

I am an elected Fellow of the Learned Society of Wales (FLSW), recipient of the Companion of OR Award and the Lyn Thomas Impact Medal (The OR Society) and a Times Higher Education award for ‘Outstanding Contribution to Innovation and Technology, and was a REF2021 sub-panel member (assessment phase) for Mathematical Sciences.

Please also see: Saving lives with maths and Meet our innovators.

Professor Paul Harper's personal website

Publication

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Articles

Book sections

  • Ansah, J. P., Koh, V., Bayer, S., Harper, P. R. and Matchar, D. 2018. Healthcare human resource planning. In: Kahraman, C. and Topcu, Y. I. eds. Operations Research Applications in Health Care Management., Vol. 262. International Series in Operations Research & Management Science Kluwer Academic Publishers, pp. 515-541., (10.1007/978-3-319-65455-3_20)
  • Sadsad, R., McDonnell, G., Viana, J., Desai, S., Harper, P. R. and Brailsford, S. 2014. Hybrid modelling case studies. In: Brailsford, S., Churilov, L. and Dangerfield, B. eds. Discrete-Event Simulation and System Dynamics for Management Decision Making. Wiley Series in Operations Research and Management Science Wiley, pp. 295-317., (10.1002/9781118762745.ch14)

Books

Conferences

Research

Research group

My primary research interests are in:

  • Stochastic OR, including queueing theory, simulation methods, optimisation, and game theory
  • Behavioural OR, with a particluar focus of behaviours in models
  • Mathematical modelling of healthcare systems
  • Mathematical modelling for the prevention, early detection and treatment of diseases
  • Machine learning and data mining techniques

Healthcare systems are typically characterised by complexity, variability, uncertainty and use of scarce resources.  To model such systems requires the development of suitable mathematical and simulation models that are able to account for the stochastic conditions, complex and large-scale patient pathways and disease processes, and at both operational and strategic levels.  Various novel approaches have been developed by myself and colleagues at Cardiff (and with collaborators worldwide), including those in queueing and game theoretic models (for example time-dependent and priority queues, and routing games), hybrid simulation methodologies (DES, Agent-based, SD, Monte Carlo methods), location theory and optimisation, social network models for disease propagation, and health behavioural models.

Funding has come from many different sources to support my research and translational findings, including EPSRC, The Royal Society, The Leverhulme Trust, Nuffield Foundation, NIHR, ESRC, Health Foundation,  the Department of Health,  Welsh Government,  and various NHS partners.

I was delighted to establish a mathematical modelling unit in collaboration with the Aneurin Bevan University Health Board.  A team of post-doctoral research associates/fellows, a  lecturer in OR, and several PhD students have been funded by ABUHB and they work between the University and Health Board (as researchers -in-residence).  In addition Cardiff and Vale University Health Board regularly fund both PhDs and post-docs.

In 2015 the team won a University Innovation award for our research and impact, and a prestigious Times Higher Education award for ‘Outstanding Contribution to Innovation and Technology' and in 2021 the OR Society Lyn Thomas Impact Medal. 

My research, and that with many collaborators, has led to sustained impact and significant benefits to the NHS and patient care, resulting in increased efficiency and effectiveness of healthcare systems, and improved outcomes.  Projects have included reducing waiting times,  reducing elective patient cancellations, ambulance modelling (forecasting demand, location analysis, crew rostering), finding the most effective and equitable locations on for healthcare facilities,  advising on the cost-effectiveness of strategies for preventing and screening for disease such as informing policy on cancer, HIV/AIDS and Chlamydia screening.

Please also see Saving lives with maths and Meet our innovators.

Teaching

I teach the following modules:

  • MAT021 – Foundations of OR and Analytics
  • MAT031 – Further OR
  • MAT009/MA4609 – Healthcare Modelling

Biography

Appointments

  • 2022 - : Director, Wales Data Nation Accelerator (WDNA)
  • 2019 - 22: Academic Chair of the Cardiff University - Office for National Statistics (ONS) Strategic Partnership
  • 2009 - : Head of the Operational Research Group, Cardiff University
  • 2010 - : Director, hmc² (Health Modelling Centre Cymru)
  • 2018 - 22 : Director of the Data Innovation Research Institute
  • 2009 - 18 : Director of Postgraduate Taught Studies
  • 2013 - 21 : Deputy Head of School (School of Mathematics, Cardiff University)
  • 2011 - 21 : Editor-in-Chief, Health Systems (Taylor & Francis)
  • 2011 - 21 : Director of Impact & Engagement, School of Mathematics
  • 2008 - 12: Cluster leader for Operational Research and Statistics, WIMCS.
  • 2007 - 11: WIMCS Research Chair in Operational Research, Cardiff University
  • 2006 - 07: Senior Lecturer in Operational Research, University of Southampton
  • 2001 - 06: Lecturer in Operational Research, University of Southampton
  • 1997 - 02: Research Fellow, Institute of Modelling for Healthcare, University of Southampton

Qualifications

  • 2005: PG Certificate in Education, University of Southampton
  • 2002: Ph.D. School of Mathematics, University of Southampton
  • 1996: M.Sc. School of Mathematics, University of Southampton
  • 1995: B.Sc. Department of Mathematical Sciences, University of Bath

Supervisions

PhD students

Current

  • Matthew Howells (EPSRC CASE award with Cardiff and Vale University Health Board)
  • Charlotte Marshall (EPSRC CASE award with TEC Cymru)
  • Elin Williams (Gwent Area Planning Board)

Completed

  • Michalis Panayides (2023): Workforce Behaviours in Healthcare Systems
  • Elizabeth Williams (2023): Linking Predictive and Prescriptive Analytics for Modelling Healthcare Services for Frail and Elderly Patients
  • John Threfall (2023): Development and Benchmarking of a Novel Scatter Search Algorithm for Learning Probabilistic Graphical Models in Healthcare
  • Emily Williams (2022): Mathematical Modelling to Support Blood Collection for the Welsh Blood Service
  • Emma Aspland (2021): Smart Simulation and Modelling for Complex Cancer Systems
  • Sarie Brice (2019): Modelling Disease Progression and Treatment Pathways for Depression
  • Mark Tuson (2019): Understanding the Impact of Social Networks on the Spread of Obesity
  • Geraint Palmer (2017): Modelling Deadlock in Queueing Systems
  • Elizabeth Rowse (2015): Robust Optimisation of Operating Theatre Schedules
  • Robert Shone (2014): Optimal Control of Queueing Systems with Multiple Heterogeneous Facilities
  • Angelico Fetta (2014): Modelling Adolescent Smoking Behaviours with Social Network Analysis
  • Marion Penn (2014): Developing a Multi-Methodological Approach to Hospital Operating Theatre Scheduling
  • Leanne Smith (2013): Modelling Emergency Medical Services
  • Julie Vile (2013): Time-Dependent Stochastic Modelling for Predicting Demand and Scheduling of Emergency Medical Services
  • Joe Viana (2011): The Development of a Combined Simulation Approach in a Sexual Health Context: Combining Discrete Event and System Dynamics Simulation to Form a Composite Model
  • Shivam Desai (2011): Modelling Social Care Needs of Older People in Hampshire
  • Dileep Da Silva (2011): Dental Public Health Needs for Sri Lanka
  • Michael Thorwarth (2011): A Simulation-based Decision Support Model to improve Healthcare Facilities Performance – elaborated on an Irish Emergency Department
  • Evandro Leite (2009): Decision Trees
  • Honora Smith (2008): Locating Sustainable Community Health Facilities
  • Jennifer Sykes (2007): Healthcare Behavioural Modelling
  • Naomi Powell (2006): Simulation and Optimisation of Healthcare Workforce Needs

Current supervision

Elizabeth Williams

Elizabeth Williams

Research Associate

Matthew Howells

Matthew Howells

Graduate Tutor