Centre for Operational Research, Management Science and Information Systems (CORMSIS)

CORMSIS PhD

Join CORMSIS, a top UK research group, to master optimisation, machine learning, and simulation. Conduct impactful research, collaborate with experts, and access cutting-edge facilities at the University of Southampton. Find your ideal PhD supervisor on our staff pages.

A PhD in OR helps develop proficiency in mathematical modelling, optimisation, machine learning, and simulation, enabling you to analyse and solve complex decision-making problems.

Pursuing a PhD in Operational Research (OR) or a related discipline at the Centre for Operational Research, Management Science, and Information Systems (CORMSIS) offers numerous advantages for individuals aiming to advance their expertise in decision sciences.

As one of the country’s leading research groups in the science of better decision making, CORMSIS provides a platform to conduct impactful research in areas such as optimisation, predictive modelling, machine learning, and simulation. The interdisciplinary nature of OR research at CORMSIS enables students to work on real-world challenges and gain valuable insights that are highly sought after by both academia and industry.

Additionally, CORMSIS is known for its strong connections with leading academic institutions and industry partners. As a PhD student, you will have the opportunity to collaborate with renowned researchers and gain access to industry collaborators, internships, and consultancy projects. The University of Southampton is a founding member of the Russell Group and offers state-of-the-art facilities, including an HPC equipped with the latest H100 and A100 GPUs and high-performance CPUs, ensuring access to cutting-edge resources for rigorous and computationally intensive research in OR.

Browse our staff pages to identify and contact a potential PhD supervisor you would like to work with.

Professor Konstantinos Katsikopoulos

Professor of Behavioural Science

Research interests

  • Human decision making: Prescriptive and descriptive
  • AI decision making: Transparency
  • Behavioural operations: Modeling and prediction of human behaviour

Accepting applications from PhD students

Connect with Konstantinos

Dr Lateef Jolaoso PhD, FIMA, FHEA

Lecturer in Mathematical Sciences

Research interests

  • Optimization (nonlinear, continuous , bilevel and nonsmooth)
  • Nonlinear Optimization (Bregman distance techniques)
  • Machine/Deep Learning
Connect with Lateef

Dr Libo Li

Lecturer in Business Analytics

Research interests

  • Time-to-event analysis
  • Text analytics
  • Network analytics 

Accepting applications from PhD students

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Lidia Mayangsari

Research interests

  • Behaviour
  • Heuristics
  • Decision models
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Dr Mahmudul Hasan BSc (Hons), MSc, PhD, FHEA

Lecturer in Information Systems

Research interests

  • Disaster information management
  • Online/virtual communities/community governance
  • Managing falsehoods on social media

Accepting applications from PhD students

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Ms Marah Thormann

Research interests

  • Difference of Convex Functions Programming
  • Machine Learning
  • Robust Regression
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Dr Maria Oskarsdottir

Lecturer in Mathematical Modelling

Research interests

  • Network science
  • Machine learning
  • Business analytics

Accepting applications from PhD students

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Professor Mario Brito

Head of Department

Research interests

  • Dynamic Probabilistic Risk Assessment of Complex Systems 
  • Impact of Organizational Factors on Socio-technical Systems Risk
  • Root cause analysis and Accident Investigations

Accepting applications from PhD students

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Professor Martin Kunc

Professor in Business Analytics

Research interests

  • Business Analytics
  • Strategic Modelling
  • Scenario planning
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Dr Mee Chi So

Associate Professor

Research interests

  • Consumer credit risk
  • Public policy on consumer credit
  • Social media analytics

Accepting applications from PhD students

Connect with Mee Chi