The Health AI and Analytics Lab is a collaborative research group in the Department of Management Science and Engineering, dedicated to improving healthcare operations and medical decisions through AI and analytics. We develop models and decision tools that help healthcare systems allocate scarce resources, reduce wait times, improve access and equity, and support high-quality clinical and operational decisions. By integrating optimization, stochastic modelling, machine learning, and real world healthcare data, the lab translates analytical insights into practical policies that enhance system performance and patient outcomes, particularly in complex, capacity-constrained environments. Lab members work closely with healthcare providers across multiple sectors, with collaborations spanning acute‑care hospitals, cancer centres, rehabilitation centres, and community‑based providers, ensuring that solutions are designed for implementation and measurable impact.
News
Picktacular: Adaptive Decision Support for Operating Room Picklist Management
A student capstone team designed and delivered Picktacular, an adaptive decision‑support dashboard designed to help hospitals better manage operating room (OR) supply pick‑lists. Developed in collaboration with Cambridge Memorial Hospital (CMH) and supervised by Prof. Houra Mahmoudzadeh and Prof. Stan Dimitrov, the project earned the Sustainable Development Capstone Design Award in Management Science and Engineering. Congratulations Agishan Thaya, Callum Gillies, Curtis Tse, Graydon Power, and Liam Mitchell for the amazing work!
Two MSE Projects Awarded Graham Seed Fund
Two research projects involving the Health AI & Analytics Lab at the Management Science and Engineering (MSE) Department at the University of Waterloo have been awarded funding through the Graham Seed Fund (third round), which supports early‑stage, collaborative research addressing pressing challenges in healthcare delivery and technology.
Both projects emerged from close collaborations between the Health AI and Analytics lab and the Waterloo Regional Health Network.
Lab contributes to the 2025 HOpeR Summer School
Professor Houra Mahmoudzadeh and graduate student Rana Shirvai participated in the HOpeR Summer School 2025, hosted at the Université du Québec à Montréal (UQAM) from August 18–22, 2025. The program brought together researchers, graduate students, and healthcare professionals for training in healthcare operational research, machine learning, and healthcare systems optimization. Prof. Mahmoudzadeh delivered a plenary session titled “Optimizing Cancer Care: From Data to Decisions”, and Rana presented her research on inverse optimization for radiation therapy as part of the "This Is My Research" series.