Research Interests
My research is concerned with the development of heuristic methods for difficult optimisation problems arising in industry and healthcare. The topic is inter-disciplinary, drawing on Operational Research, Computer Science, and elements of Statistics and Applied Probability.
Research Team
First jobs of former students and research fellows are provided.
PhD Students
- Danielle Notice: A Prediction Model for Algorithm Selection in Solving Combinatorial Optimisation Problems. Started October 2022 [co-supervision with Dr Nicos Pavlidis - Danielle is based within STOR-i and is funded by Tesco] [project]
- Ke Fang: Optimisation and Simulation for Multi-objective Dynamic Food Delivery Route Planning Problem. Started March 2022 [co-supervision with Dr Christopher Kirkbride]
- Rebecca Hamm: Efficient Design of Grocery Distribution Networks. Started October 2021 [Rebecca is based within STOR-i and is funded by Tesco] [project]
- Matthew Davison: Modelling and Solving Generic Educational Timetabling Problems. Started October 2021 [co-supervision with Prof. Konstantinos Zografos and Dr Alexandre Jacquillat (MIT) - this project is funded by STOR-i, EPSRC, and it is in partnership with MIT] [project]
- In 2022, Matthew has won "runner up" in the poster competition held as part of the FST Science Week (there were over 40 PhD students who entered)
- Matthew Randall: Efficient Network Design with Optimal Slot Offering for Grocery Home Delivery. Started April 2021 [co-supervision with Prof. Adam Letchford - Matthew is funded through the STOR-i doctoral training centre and Tesco] [project]
- Malek Almousa: Using Optimization Tools and Heuristic Methods on the Optimal Camera Placement for Surveillance. Started February 2021 [co-supervision with Prof. Matthias Ehrgott]
- Yaroslav Pylyavskyy: OR Techniques for Conference Scheduling. Started October 2020 [co-supervision with Dr Peter Jacko - this project is funded by Mathematical Sciences, EPSRC] [project]
MRes Students
- Matthew Bond: The Carbon Footprint of WEEE (Waste Electronic and Electrical Equipment) in the UK – A Case Study based on the UK's Largest WEEE Producer Compliance Scheme. November 2020 - January 2022 [co-supervision with Dr Burak Boyaci, Dr Lingxuan Liu and Dr Alison Stowell - this Masters by Research is a collaborative research project between Centre for Global Eco-Innovation and REPIC Ltd, the UK's largest electrical waste producer compliance scheme. The project is part financed by the European Regional Development Fund] (viva date, 24th January 2022)
- Now: Carbon Consultant at Small World Consulting, UK
Research Fellows
- Rebecca Hamm: AKT project with Optrak on "Heuristics for Commercial Waste Collection with Heterogeneous Electric Vehicles, Time Windows, and Time-Dependent Travel". Started March 2024
- Dr Istenc Tarhan: EPSRC/GCRF project on "Resilient Emergency Preparedness for Natural Disaster Response through Operational Research (RESPOND-OR)". March 2020 - January 2022 [co-supervision with Prof. Konstantinos Zografos and Prof. Juliana Sutanto]
- Now: Research Associate at Sorbonne University, France THEN Lecturer in Management Information Systems at UCD (University College Dublin)
- Dr Aleksandr Pirogov: EPSRC/GCRF project on "Resilient Emergency Preparedness for Natural Disaster Response through Operational Research (RESPOND-OR)". February 2020 - January 2022 [co-supervision with Prof. Konstantinos Zografos and Prof. Juliana Sutanto]
- Now: Data Scientist at TESCO, UK
- Dr Abubakr Awad: KTP project with Optrak on "Developing and Implementing Novel and Advanced, Hyper-heuristics based Routing Technologies for Standard and Non-standard Haulage Markets". January 2020 - November 2021 [co-supervision with Dr Ender Ozcan]
- Now: Data Scientist at TESCO, UK
Visiting Students
- Muhamad Ali Nayeem (PhD. student, Bangladesh University of Engineering and Technology, Dhaka, Bangladesh): Best Base Locations and Team Configurations for NWAA. October 2020 - December 2020 [Muhamad Ali Nayeem has been awarded a prestigious SPECIES Scholarship award. The scholarship enables winners to spend 3 months at another one of the candidate host institutions, to carry out research, which is all fully funded as part of the scholarship]
- Now: Assistant Professor at Bangladesh University of Engineering and Technology, Bangladesh
- Ayse Aslan (M.Sc. student, University of Twente, The Netherlands): Robust Master Surgery Schedules. September 2016 - December 2016 [co-supervision with Prof. Paul Harper]
- Now: Postdoctoral Research Fellow at Edinburgh Napier University, UK
Research Funding
| Title: | Heuristics for Commercial Waste Collection with Heterogeneous Electric Vehicles, Time Windows, and Time-Dependent Travel |
| Funding Body: | Innovate UK KTN - Accelerated Knowledge Transfer (AKT) (Ref 1860) |
| Grant Total: | £33,617 (£30,255 from Innovate UK KTN + £3,362 from Optrak) |
| Industrial Partner: | Optrak Distribution Software Limited |
| Project Start Date: | March 2024 |
| Length of Project: | 4 months |
| KB Supervisor: | Ahmed Kheiri |
| Notes: | Out of 506 applications, our project earned a place among the top 35% successful projects, with a score exceeding 79% |
| Title: | A Prediction Model for Algorithm Selection in Solving Combinatorial Optimisation Problems |
| Funding Body: | TESCO |
| Grant Total: | £39,000 |
| Principal Investigator: | Ahmed Kheiri |
| Co-Investigator: | Nicos Pavlidis |
| Project Start Date: | October 2022 |
| Length of Project: | 36 months |
| Title: | Efficient Design of Grocery Distribution Networks |
| Funding Body: | TESCO |
| Grant Total: | £39,000 |
| Principal Investigator: | Ahmed Kheiri |
| Project Start Date: | October 2021 |
| Length of Project: | 36 months |
| Title: | Efficient Network Design with Optimal Slot Offering for Grocery Home Delivery |
| Funding Body: | TESCO |
| Grant Total: | £39,000 |
| Principal Investigator: | Ahmed Kheiri |
| Co-Investigator: | Adam Letchford |
| Project Start Date: | October 2020 |
| Length of Project: | 36 months |
| Title: | Prediction and Optimisation Workshop |
| Funding Body: | STORi, Lancaster University |
| Grant Total: | £5,000 |
| Workshop Date: | June 2022 |
| Organising Committee: | Ahmed Kheiri, Rebecca Killick, Adam Letchford, Anna-Lena Sachs and Ivan Svetunkov |
| Notes: | This workshop was organised with the aim of enriching the vibrancy of the STOR-i research environment. We had the privilege of hosting three keynote speakers and facilitating a total of 16 talks over the course of two days |
| Title: | Emergency Department Patient Pathway Modelling for University Hospitals of Morecambe Bay NHS Foundation Trust |
| Funding Body: | Data Science Institute at LU |
| Grant Total: | £4,000 |
| Academic Team: | Ahmed Kheiri and Dave Worthington |
| Project Start Date: | December 2021 |
| Length of Project: | 10 weeks |
| Title: | Best Base Locations and Team Configurations for NWAA |
| Funding Body: | SPECIES (The Society for the Promotion of Evolutionary Computation in Europe and Surroundings) |
| Grant Total: | €2,700 |
| Principal Investigator: | Ahmed Kheiri |
| Project Start Date: | October 2020 |
| Length of Project: | 3 months |
| Notes: | SPECIES offered three competitive scholarships for research students in its areas of interest. Students were asked to select hosts from 18 potential universities, and I was pleased that Lancaster University was one of the three winners |
| Title: | RESilient Emergency Preparedness for Natural Disaster Response through Operational Research (RESPOND-OR) [news1] [news2] |
| Funding Body: | EPSRC (Ref EP/T003979/1) |
| Grant Total: | £515,924 |
| Principal Investigator: | Konstantinos Zografos |
| Co-Investigators: | Juliana Sutanto, Ahmed Kheiri and Kevin Glazebrook |
| Project Start Date: | October 2019 |
| Length of Project: | 24 months |
| Other Researchers: | University of Khartoum: Hisham Abushama and Hiba Mohamed Ali. University of Indonesia: Akhmad Hidayatno, Komarudin Komarudin, Heru Suhartanto. Gadjah Mada University: Bertha Maya Sopha |
| Notes: | This project has many stakeholder partners including: From Indonesia: National Disaster Management Authority (BNPB), Disaster Management Agency of the Yogyakarta Special Region (BPBD DIY), Humanitarian Forum Indonesia (HFI) and RedR Indonesia. From Sudan: National Council of Civil Defence (NCCD), Ministry of Water Resources, Irrigation and Electricity, Ministry of Health, Humanitarian Aid Commission (HAC) and Nile Basin Institute (NBI) |
| Title: | Developing and Implementing Novel and Advanced, Hyper-heuristics based Routing Technologies for Standard and Non-standard Haulage Markets [news1] [news2] |
| Funding Body: | KTP Scheme (Ref KTP11692) |
| Grant Total: | £207,627 (£139,110 from Innovate UK + £68,517 from Optrak) |
| Industrial Partner: | Optrak Distribution Software Limited |
| Project Start Date: | May 2019 |
| Length of Project: | 27 months |
| Academic Team: | Ender Ozcan (University of Nottingham) and Ahmed Kheiri |
| Notes: | This is a joint project between the University of Nottingham, Lancaster University and Optrak Distribution Software Limited |
Paid Consultancy
| Title: | The Impact on the Staff of NWWA of the Merger or Relocation of Office Facilities (via Lancaster University Consultancy Service) |
| Client: | North West Air Ambulance |
| Personnel: | Ahmed Kheiri and Burak Boyaci |
| Project Start Date: | March 2024 (80 hours) |
| Notes: | This consultancy project aims to optimise the location of NWAA offices and bases |
| Title: | Consultancy to Solve Linde's Inventory Routing Problem (via Lancaster University Consultancy Service) |
| Client: | BOC Limited |
| Personnel: | Ahmed Kheiri |
| Project Start Date: | April 2021 (7 days) |
| Title: | Testing a Developed Software Tool for BOC (via Lancaster University Consultancy Service) |
| Client: | BOC Limited |
| Personnel: | Ahmed Kheiri |
| Project Start Date: | November 2020 (4 days) |
| Title: | Finding the Best Base Locations and Team Configurations (via Lancaster University Consultancy Service) |
| Client: | North West Air Ambulance |
| Personnel: | Ahmed Kheiri and Burak Boyaci |
| Project Start Date: | February 2020 (38 days) |
| Notes: | This consultancy project aims to study the impact of having different numbers of helicopters and to consider the most appropriate bases for the aircraft |
Industrial Collaboration
I have extensive links with external organisations, undertaking consultancy and research projects with ORTEC, AirLiquide and more
Examining and Reviewing Duties
PhD External Examiner
- Fatimah Alzahrani: University of South Wales, Wales (2019)
