Jónas Oddur Jónasson

Jónas Oddur Jónasson serves as Associate Professor of Operations Management at the MIT Sloan School of Management, where he is affiliated with the Operations Management Group (OMG), Health Systems Innovation (HSI) initiative, and Operations Research Center (ORC). His research applies operations research to healthcare delivery challenges in resource-limited settings, with emphasis on equity-focused interventions for tuberculosis, HIV, and emergency medical services.

His academic credentials include: PhD in Management Science and Operations (London Business School, 2016); M.Res in Management Science and Operations (London Business School, 2012); M.Phil in Management Science and Operations (University of Cambridge, 2010); M.Sc. in Operational Research with distinction (London School of Economics, 2009); B.Sc. in Industrial Engineering (University of Iceland, 2008); and exchange studies at University of Miami (2006-2007).

His research integrates behavioral operations with social impact, focusing on supply chain optimization for global health diagnostics, fatigue effects on healthcare worker performance, and targeted interventions for vulnerable populations. Fieldwork in Malawi, Boston, and Mozambique demonstrates practical implementation of route optimization, digital adherence tools, and EMS team designation strategies to address systemic inequities.

Recent publications reveal strong thematic continuity in applying robust optimization to pandemic testing, sample transportation logistics, and behavioral health interventions. His work consistently bridges theoretical operations models with real-world healthcare delivery challenges, evidenced by multiple papers featured in Management Science and M&SOM with direct policy implications for resource-constrained settings.

Key scientific recognitions include:

• INFORMS William Pierskalla Award for Best Paper in Healthcare Management Science (2024)
• MSOM Society Award for Responsible Research (2024)
• Four M&SOM Meritorious Service Awards (2019-2023)
• Financial Times recognition for social impact (2020)
• Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation Grand Challenges grant (2017)
• Seth Bonder Scholarship for Health Services Research (2014)

His research portfolio features significant grant funding from the Gates Foundation, National Science Foundation, and industry partners. While specific student advisees aren't listed, his 2020 INFORMS award with ORC PhD student Emma Gibson demonstrates active mentorship in operations-for-good projects. Current work includes opioid overdose prevention models and Medicare Advantage risk selection analysis.

As a core contributor to MIT's Health Systems Innovation initiative, he collaborates with cross-disciplinary teams to translate operations research into scalable healthcare solutions, particularly through field implementations with government health systems in sub-Saharan Africa.