Alumni Focus: Michal A. Mankowski

2021-07-29 - 15:05

KAUST Alumnus Michal Mankowski's first encounter with KAUST was in 2015 when he joined the university as a VSRP student. Then, in 2016, he started his Ph.D. program and defended it in the year 2020, and then he continued as a Postdoc under prof. Mikhail Moshkov. He worked on multi-objective optimization and applied operations research in the healthcare domain. Together with his PI, they published a book describing a novel framework on multi-objective optimization using dynamic programming (2021).

Michal is joining Erasmus Univerys Rotterdam, Netherlands as an Assistant Professor of Operations Research, Econometrics Department, School of Economics. It is a leading School of Economics in Europe. He will continue his research direction on using advanced simulations and optimization in the healthcare domain. He will be teaching advanced programming and simulation courses.

"Over my KAUST journey, from an intern to a postdoc, I really enjoyed KAUST and it's an environment that provided me with many opposites to grow in terms of my research as well as personal skills. I'm very grateful to my PI who was my mentor throughout the years. I wish also to thank the CBRC for its great environment and support".

KAUST was an advanced I can recommend to everyone.

About Michal and his contribution at KAUST

"Michal Mankowski has significantly contributed to the theory and practice of his research field. His original multi-objective optimization methods were well received at the major operation research conferences. At the same time, his applied research to the healthcare domain has been rewarded at the clinical conferences and by the medical journal for introducing a novel and optimized approach to organ allocation in the US. Aligning with KAUST's vision and mission, Michal focuses on local and global impact through research translation. By maintaining multiple collaborations across the US (Johns Hopkins, MIT, Stanford) and Europe, his efforts aim for knowledge transfers to the Saudi health system through developing local initiatives and partnerships supporting Digital Health Strategy, as outlined by Saudi Vision 2030. Responding to President Chan's call for action with fighting the COVID outbreak, Michal and his Saudi collaborators are studying the dialysis patient populations in the Kingdom. This study aims to recognize the immunity status among dialysis patients and develop new policies and practices in the dialysis unit organization. Michal co-investigates this project, in particular, he is responsible for clinical data analysis, mathematical modeling, and simulation studies. Michal's in-Kingdom activities seek long-term effects beyond the current COVID crisis. This year, he has successfully organized and chaired two healthcare data analytics workshops gathering top-level Saudi clinicians and healthcare executives. Through these workshops, the idea of establishing a National Healthcare Analytics Network has emerged. Michal is working closely with a project team from the Saudi Commission for Health Specialties to develop this initiative, enhancing local health data analytics engagements. Michal initiated and co-PI the research proposal on optimizing Saudi National Kidney Exchange. Together with Dr. Khalid Almeshari from the King Faisal Specialist Hospital & Research Center, they plan to meet this life-saving ambition of developing new algorithms allowing to transplant more patients, increase the quality of life of transplant recipients, reduce mortality, and improve equity for patients across the KSA. The multidisciplinary team includes leading Saudi researchers, and KAUST faculties."