Bahman Rostami-Tabar

Bahman Rostami-Tabar is Professor of Analytics and Decision Sciences at Cardiff Business School, Cardiff University, UK. He is the founder and director of the Data Lab for Social Good and the founder and chair of the Forecasting for Social Good (F4SG) initiative sponsored by the International Institute of Forecasters. He also leads the 'Uncertainty & the Future' theme at the Digital Transformation Innovation Institute. His research spans probabilistic forecasting, operational research, and data science with applications in healthcare, humanitarian logistics, and sustainable development.

Research Interests: His work emphasizes transforming data into insights for decision-making under uncertainty. His research is structured into three pillars: (1) Conceptual work on forecasting for social good and the UN Sustainable Development Goals; (2) Methodological innovations in temporal aggregation, hierarchical forecasting, and machine learning for time series; and (3) Applications in healthcare operations, global health, and humanitarian supply chains. He has collaborated with organizations such as the NHS, USAID, ICRC, and JSI.

Publication Trends: His recent publications (2023–2025) focus on probabilistic forecasting in healthcare (e.g., emergency department arrivals, trauma networks), hybrid machine learning models for humanitarian demand, and the societal role of forecasting. There is a strong emphasis on real-world impact, with applications in public health, supply chain resilience, and data-driven policy.

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

Supervision and Grants: He actively supervises PhD students in forecasting, healthcare systems, and supply chains. He leads the 'Democratising Forecasting' project, delivering free R-based forecasting training in developing countries. He also chairs the F4SG Research Grant program, awarding $5,000 to researchers in low- and lower-middle-income countries for socially impactful forecasting research.

Labs and Teams: He founded and directs the Data Lab for Social Good at Cardiff Business School and leads the international Forecasting for Social Good network, which includes learning labs, hackathons, and a forecasting book club to foster global collaboration.