Optimisation for Health Solutions: Driving Efficiency and Quality Through Better Decisions
Description
Attending the in-person 2026 OPTIMA workshop, Optimisation for Health Solutions: Driving Efficiency and Quality Through Better Decisions, is an excellent opportunity for industry professionals and academics. This workshop brings together researchers, healthcare leaders, and industry innovators to explore how cutting-edge optimisation is transforming health systems and improving patient outcomes.
The event provides a valuable space to network, share knowledge, and stay informed about the latest trends and technologies in healthcare optimisation.
This half-day workshop is tailored for our optimisation academics and industry guests. The session will showcase successful case studies and highlight advances in optimisation techniques that support efficiency, resource allocation, and evidence-based decision making in health services.
Date: 25 March 2026
Time: 13:50 to 17:00 (Main Event) | 17:00 to 18:00 (Networking)
Location: Melbourne Connect, 700 Swanston Street, Carlton, VIC
Organised by: OPTIMA
Program Highlights
• Opening presentation from leading voices in health and optimisation
• Talks from industry and academia featuring real-world applications and emerging research
• Spotlight sessions from Biarri, OPTIMA, and healthcare industry experts
• Open discussion on the challenges and future needs in health optimisation
• Dedicated networking session to connect with peers and explore collaboration opportunities
If you work in health, AI, optimisation, or are passionate about improving healthcare systems, this free event is one not to miss.
Full program https://optima.org.au/outreach-and-events/optimisation-for-health-solutions/
Lineup
Professor Chris Bain, Monash University
Complex Decisions regarding Complex Patients in a Complex System: Can Optimisation Help in Healthcare? Professor Christopher Bain is an Australian health informatician and digital health leader with over two decades of experience across healthcare, research and technology. He is the founder of OurHeF (Our Health E Future), a community dedicated to advancing the safe, effective and value driven use of digital technologies in healthcare. Christopher’s work spans digital health strategy, health technology assessment, and value based digital health, with a strong focus on real world impact for patients, clinicians and health systems.
Dave Scerri, Biarri
Optimising Care Worker Scheduling and Rostering within the Community Dave Scerri is the Chief Executive Officer of Biarri, an Australian optimisation software company that applies advanced mathematics and AI to complex planning, scheduling and rostering challenges across healthcare, supply chain, energy and retail. With a background in computer science and AI research, Dave has been with Biarri for over a decade, progressing from optimisation consultant to CEO. He works closely with industry and research partners to translate mathematical optimisation into practical, scalable solutions that deliver measurable operational impact.
Dr Amir Abdollahi (Victorian Department of Health)
Towards Building a Digital Twin for the Victorian Healthcare System Dr Amir Abdollahi is the Manager of the Advanced Analytics team at the Victorian Department of Health. He holds a PhD in Applied Mathematics and has over a decade of experience across computational engineering, machine learning, and data science. Amir has led high‑impact initiatives with organisations including Rolls‑Royce, the University of Oxford, and the Victorian Department of Health, where he developed influential digital twin models for the statewide health system to support data‑driven decision making and resource planning. His expertise spans the full AI/ML lifecycle, advanced optimisation, cloud platforms, and, more recently, large language models and AI agents, alongside a strong commitment to teaching and mentoring.
Andreas Ernst (OPTIMA)
Workforce Management for Palliative Care South Eastern Professor Andreas Ernst has worked in real-world applications of optimisation for over 25 years, including in supply chains, logistics, mining, services (rostering) and energy. He is an Associate Investigator with OPTIMA and his recent work includes rail planning and scheduling for Pacific National through a Linkage grant and methods using machine learning to improve the performance of optimisation algorithms as part of a ARC Discovery Project with RMIT. Andreas is a Senior Fellow with the Australia Indonesia Centre leading the research on Transport and Logistics in the PAIR program. His research is focused on methods for solving large-scale integer programming problems, including decomposition methods and matheuristics that combine mathematical programming approaches with metaheuristic search.
Michel Hulzebos (GS1)
Scanning for Efficiency: Using GS1 Barcodes to Optimise Hospital Supply Chains Michel Hulzebos, Director of Healthcare at GS1 Australia, brings extensive expertise in supply chain management across various industries and multiple countries. Over the past decade, he has spearheaded numerous strategic initiatives within the public and private healthcare sectors, emphasizing digitalization and optimizing patient care through the implementation of robust supply chain standards. His dedication to efficiency and safety has been evident in his successful delivery of impactful projects, marking him as a leader in the intersection of supply chain management and healthcare innovation.
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