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.

Dr Nicholas Dacre PhD (Warwick), MSc, SFHEA, FAPM

Associate Professor Project Management

Research interests

  • Artificial Intelligence (AI) in Project Management: Exploring the transformative role of AI in enhancing decision-making and efficiency within project management.
  • Agile Project Management (APM): Investigating the adaptive strategies of Agile methodologies to enhance project delivery by promoting flexibility, adaptability, and rapid response to change.
  • Innovation, Technology, & Sustainability in Complex Projects (ITS Complex): Delving into the interplay between innovation, technology, and sustainability, and how their convergence advances the management of complex projects.

Accepting applications from PhD students

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Mr Pablo Casas

Research interests

  • Credit Scoring 
  • Fairness in Machine Learning 
  • Streaming data modelling
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Dr Patrick Beullens

Associate Professor

Research interests

  • Ocean shipping - decisions under risk, environmental performance
  • Retail supply chains - perishable products, food waste management
  • Logistics and reverse logistics

Accepting applications from PhD students

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Professor PK Senyo

Professor-FinTech & Information Systems

Research interests

  • Artificial Intelligence (AI)
  • Digital Transformation
  • FinTech
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Dr Qin Zhou

Lecturer in Operations Management

Research interests

  • Applications: Operations Management: closed-loop supply chain management, production outsourcing, remanufacturing management (authorization and outsourcing), technology innovation, Nash bargaining, contract design.Marketing-Operations Management Interface: trade-in, strategic consumers behaviour, fairness concerns, anticipated regret.Marine Policy: clean technology innovation, abatement decision. Methodologies: Game theory, optimization.

Accepting applications from PhD students

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Professor Sally Brailsford

Professor of Management Science

Research interests

  • Healthcare modelling
  • Hybrid simulation
  • Behavioural Operational Research
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Mr Samuel Ward

Research interests

  • Mathematical Program with Complementarity Constraints
  • Machine Learning
  • Algorithms
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Mrs Sara Trunecka

Senior Administrator
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Dr Sasan Barak

Lecturer in Business Analytics

Research interests

  • Financial Machine Learning (including Portfolio Optimisation, Algorithmic Trading)
  • Forecasting (Model Selection, Meta-Learning, Deep Learning)
  • Statistical and Machine Learning Algorithms in Analytics

Accepting applications from PhD students

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Professor Selin Ahipasaoglu PhD

Professor

Research interests

  • Convex Optimisation
  • Robust Optimisation
  • Discrete Choice Theory and Applications

Accepting applications from PhD students

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