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Bahman Rostami-Tabar

Professor Bahman Rostami-Tabar

(he/him)

Users
Available for postgraduate supervision

Teams and roles for Bahman Rostami-Tabar

Overview

Bahman is the Professor of Analytics & Decision Sciences at Cardiff Business School, Cardiff University, UK. He is interested in transforming data into insights for making better decisions. Bahman is the founder and director of Data Lab for Social Good Research Group at Cardiff Business School and the founder and chair of Forecasting for Social Good initiatives sponsored by the International Institute of Forecasters. He is also leading the "Uncertainty & the Future" theme at the Digital Transformation Innovation Institute.

Bahman is passionate about uncertainty and the future. He specialises in the development and application of probabilistic modelling, forecasting, and operational research tools and techniques, providing informed insights for policy & decision-making processes in facing uncertain futures, and his research has contributed to sectors contributing to social good, including healthcare operations, global health and humanitarian supply chains, agriculture and food, social sustainability, and governmental policy. 

Bahman's research contributions fall into three areas:

1) Conceptual, focusing on how forecasting and modelling can be used for social good or to inform decisions related to the Sustainable Development Goals (see, for example, Forecasting for social good; Alliance or apathy? Forecasting’s role in achieving the U.N. sustainable development goals; also, harm in forecasting (in-progress) and barriers in using models in healthcare (in-progress)

2) Methodological, Investigate methodological solutions to questions about philosophy, theory and practice; see, for example, Forecasting interupted time series; Exploring the association between time series features and forecasting by temporal aggregation using machine learning; and Demand forecasting by temporal aggregation.

3) Applications: application of forecasting and modelling in healthcare management science, global health & humanitarian supply chains, and UN Sustainable Development Goals. See, for example, Hierarchical Time Series Forecasting in Emergency Medical Services; Probabilistic forecasting of hourly emergency department arrivals; and A hybrid LSTM method for forecasting demands of medical items in humanitarian operations.

Bahman's collaborative efforts have spanned a multitude of organisations, including notable bodies such as the National Health Service (NHS), Welsh Ambulance Service Trusts (WAST), the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC), and John Snow Inc. (JSI). A remarkable highlight of his contributions is his pivotal role in disseminating forecasting knowledge, especially in low and lower-middle-income countries, through the democratizing forecasting project sponsored by the International Institute of Forecasters.

Publication

2026

2025

2024

2023

2022

2021

2019

2017

2016

2015

2014

2013

2008

Articles

Book sections

Books

Conferences

Research

Research

I am interested in developing innovative methodologies in forecasting for social goo and how forecasting, nowcasting and .

Primary research interests

Methodology:

  • Uncertainty and the Future
  • Modelling and Analytics
  • Data Science, Machine learning & AI
  • Probabilsitic Forecasting
  • Tools for thinking about the future 
  • Operational Reserach

Applications:

  • Social Good
  • Health and Care Systems
  • Global and Public Health Supply Chains
  • Humanitarian Supply Chains

Teaching

Teaching commitments

  • Forecasting
  • Business Data Analytics
  • Healthcare Planning Evidence & Analytics
  • Inventory Management
  • Supply Chain Planning

I have been delivering trainings on Data Analytics and Forecasting using R since 2018. I have trained over 500  people in the UK (mainly NHS analysts), Tunisia, Senegal, Nigeria, Uganda, Iraq, Turkey, Indonesia and Georgia so far. My trainings cover various topics including how to prepare, manipulate and visualize data, apply various forecasting models and evaluate their forecast accuacy in R.

If you need a training in these areas, get in touch.

Biography

Qualifications

 

  • 2014 - Ph.D., Industrial Engineering. Thesis entitled 'ARIMA Demand Forecasting by Aggregation', University of Bordeaux, France
  • 2010 - M.Sc., Information Systems, ECE Paris, France
  • 2009 - Proficiency in French Language, Université de Poitiers , France
  • 2008 - M.Sc., Industrial Engineering, Tarbiat Modares University, Tehran, Iran
  • 2004 - B.Sc., Industrial Engineering, K.N.Toosi Uni. Of Technology, Tehran, Iran (4 years).

Honours and awards

  • 2024, Goodeve Medal winner, Operational Research Society, UK.
  • 2024, Fellowship, Institute of Advanced Studies, Montpellier, France.
  • 2021, Public Value Fellow, Cardiff Business School.
  • 2021, Associate Fellow, NHS-R community.
  • 2013 MIM best paper award (IFAC).
  • 2017 International Symposium on Industrial Engineering and Operations Management, Best Track Paper Award, Bristol, UK.

Academic positions

  • 2015 - 2016: Lecturer in Supply Chain Management, School of Strategy and Leadership, Coventry University,  UK.
  • 2014 - 2015: Postdoctoral Research Fellowship, Industrial Engineering Lab, Ecole Centrale Paris,  France.

Supervisions

PhD Supervision

I welcome enquiries from potential PhD students in the areas of

Theory & methodology:

  • Uncertainty and the future
  • Artificial Intelligence
  • Machine Learning
  • Probabilistic Forecasting
  • Forecasting by Aggregation (Hierarchical and Temporal)
  • Operational Research

Applications:

  • Healthcare Systems
  • Global and Public Health Supply Chains
  • Humanitarian Logistics & Supply Chains
  • Social Good
  • UN Sustainable Development Goals

 

Current supervision

Alfred Sallwa

Alfred Sallwa

Mingzhe Shi

Mingzhe Shi

Rui Xu

Rui Xu

Research Student

Harsha Ruwan Chamara Halgamuwe Hewage

Harsha Ruwan Chamara Halgamuwe Hewage

PhD Student/Research Assistant

Yemsrach Demissie

Yemsrach Demissie

Birhanu Shanko Dura Dura

Birhanu Shanko Dura Dura

Past projects

1. Dr. Diego Bermudez Bermejo, 2020-2024, An integrative multifactor systems approach to enhance the operational resilience and sustainability of the UK retail payments’ organisational stakeholders, currently working at Ellen MacArthur Foundation

News articles

Data Lab for Social Good Research Group visited Maputo to better understand the challenges facing immunisation supply chains.

Cardiff University researchers help strengthen immunisation supply chains

22 September 2026

Data Lab for Social Good Research Group visited Maputo to better understand the challenges facing immunisation supply chains.

Cardiff summer school connects ideas and disciplines to act on uncertainty and build more resilient futures

Exploring new ways of thinking in an uncertain world

21 July 2026

Cardiff summer school connects ideas and disciplines to act on uncertainty and build more resilient futures

The Data Lab for Social Good Research Group have helped deliver a landmark international workshop in Kigali, Rwanda.

Researchers lead international workshop to strengthen modelling of climate-sensitive disease

23 March 2026

The Data Lab for Social Good Research Group have helped deliver a landmark international workshop in Kigali, Rwanda.

This newly created editorial role reflects a major step forward in promoting transparency and scientific integrity in forecasting research.

Professor Bahman Rostami-Tabar appointed Reproducibility Editor for the International Journal of Forecasting

05 February 2026

This newly created editorial role reflects a major step forward in promoting transparency and scientific integrity in forecasting research.

Professor Bahman Rostami-Tabar from the Data Lab for Social Good Research Group at Cardiff Business School has been awarded the prestigious Lyn Thomas Impact Medal 2025.

Professor Bahman Rostami-Tabar awarded prestigious Lyn Thomas Impact Medal 2025

03 December 2025

Professor Bahman Rostami-Tabar from the Data Lab for Social Good Research Group at Cardiff Business School has been awarded the prestigious Lyn Thomas Impact Medal 2025.

Applications for the Art and Science of Uncertainty and the Future Interdisciplinary Summer School are now open.

Engage with uncertainty and shape the future

02 December 2025

Applications for the Art and Science of Uncertainty and the Future Interdisciplinary Summer School are now open.

Cardiff Business School Professors Bahman Rostami-Tabar and Aris Syntetos have been awarded the 2024 Goodeve Medal by the Operational Research (OR) Society.

Professors win prestigious Goodeve Medal

08 January 2025

Cardiff Business School Professors Bahman Rostami-Tabar and Aris Syntetos have been awarded the 2024 Goodeve Medal by the Operational Research (OR) Society.

Professor Bahman Rostami-Tabar is equipping individuals in developing countries with the tools to make informed decisions and plan for uncertain futures in a series of free workshops.

Democratising Forecasting: enhancing analytical capacities in developing countries

05 July 2024

Professor Bahman Rostami-Tabar is equipping individuals in developing countries with the tools to make informed decisions and plan for uncertain futures in a series of free workshops.

Bahman Rostami-Tabar, Professor of Data-Driven Decision Science, has been awarded a Research Fellowship by the Montpellier Advanced Knowledge Institute on Transitions (MAKIT).

Professor awarded prestigious research fellowship to explore pressing societal issues

09 May 2024

Bahman Rostami-Tabar, Professor of Data-Driven Decision Science, has been awarded a Research Fellowship by the Montpellier Advanced Knowledge Institute on Transitions (MAKIT).

Researchers recognised at Logistics and operations Management Section conference

Leaders in research, innovation and engagement

30 April 2021

Researchers recognised at Logistics and operations Management Section conference

Cardiff expert delivers R workshops for NHS in collaboration with NHS-R community

Forecasting for healthcare professionals

25 August 2020

Cardiff expert delivers R workshops for NHS in collaboration with NHS-R community

International Institute of Forecasters recognises postgraduate

Graduate forecasting award

21 August 2020

International Institute of Forecasters recognises postgraduate

Academics demonstrate social capabilities of forecasting

India workshop success

30 January 2019

Academics demonstrate social capabilities of forecasting

First of its kind workshop explores imbalance in forecasting scholarship

The need of populations and society

26 July 2018

First of its kind workshop explores imbalance in forecasting scholarship

Three developmental projects to deliver international public value

Funding successes for global research

04 May 2018

Three developmental projects to deliver international public value

Essential skills shared at International workshop

Forecasting for social good in India

14 March 2018

Essential skills shared at International workshop

Workshops to share knowledge and skills with world’s least developed nations

Democratising forecasting

22 December 2017

Workshops to share knowledge and skills with world’s least developed nations

Contact Details

Email [email protected]
Telephone +44 29208 70723
Campuses Aberconway Building, Room C08, Colum Road, Cathays, Cardiff, CF10 3EU

Specialisms

  • Artificial intelligence
  • Machine learning
  • Forecasting
  • Healthcare
  • Supply chains