yanlu.zhao@durham.ac.uk
(+44)-1913345314

Curriculum Vitae

Yanlu Zhao is an assistant professor in Operations Management at Durham University Business School. His research and teaching focus on data-driven service operations and supply chain management. He has published in several academic journals such as Manufacturing and Service Operations Management, Transportation Science, Production and Operations Management, European Journal of Operational Research, IISE Transactions, INFORMS Journal on Computing, and regularly presents his research at international conferences in Europe, Asia, and the United States. He received his doctoral degree from ESSEC Business School in France, and he also holds a master degree in management science and engineering from Tsinghua University, China. In 2019, he visited the Institute of Operations Research and Analytics (IORA) at National University of Singapore as a research scholar.  In 2022, he won the ESSEC Foundation PhD award. In 2024, he is on research leave to visit the Department of Logistics and Maritime Studies in Hong Kong Polytechnic University.

Work Experience

  • Research Fellow (sabbatical), Hong Kong PolyU Faculty of Business, Dec. 2023 – April 2024
  • Assistant Professor, Durham University Business School, 2020-present

Education

  • PhD in operations management, ESSEC Business School, France
  • Visiting PhD at IORA, National University of Singapore, Singapore
  • Master in management and engineering science, Tsinghua University
  • Bachelor in management, Shandong University of Finance and Economics

Research Interests

  • Methods: Mixed-integer programming, Markov decision process, Dynamic programming, Queue theory, Machine learning
  • Applications: data-driven service operations and supply chain management, such as Online platform studies (matching, scheduling and routing), Transportation network optimization, Emerging technologies in last-mile delivery, Sustainable operations, Appointment scheduling and optimisation in healthcare system

Working Paper

  • “Last-mile attended home healthcare service: A robust strategy to mitigate cascading delays and ensure punctual care delivery” (with M. Liu and X. Xie), working paper (Feb 2024, major revision)
  • “Online luxury retailing with authentication: Honesty, distinguishability and misauthentication” (with B. Liu), working paper (July 2023, rejected and invited for resubmission)
  • “Stochastic scheduling and routing decisions in online meal delivery platforms with mixed force” (with L. Alfandari and C. Archetti), working paper (June 2023, under major revision)

Work-in-progress

  • “Dynamic routing problem for agricultural machinery repairement” (with Y. Yao and L. Ding)
  • “Automobile supply chain disruption and resilience” (with X. Li and L. Ding)
  • “Heuristics for call-center-based time slots management of field visits” (with F. Papier)

Academic Publications

  • “Market Thickness in Online Food Delivery Platforms: The Impact of Food Processing Times” (with F. Papier and C.P. Teo), Manufacturing and Service Operations Management (2024).
  • “Unified framework for choice-based facility location problem” (with Y. Lin and Q. Tian), INFORMS Journal on Computing (2024).
  • “Synchronized deliveries with a bike and a self-driving robot” (with D. Cattaruzza, N. Kang and R. Roberti), Transportation Science (2023).
  • “Continuity-skill-restricted scheduling and routing problem: Formulation, optimization and implications” (with M. Liu and X. Xie), IISE Transactions (2023). (ISE Magazine Featured Article)
  • “Locating facilities under competition and market expansion: Formulation, optimization, and implications” (with Y. Lin and Q. Tian), Production and Operations Management (2022).
  • “A branch-and-cut algorithm for the Edge Interdiction Clique Problem” (with F. Furini, I. Ljubic, P. San Segundo), European Journal of Operational Research (2021).
  • “Design of diversified package tours for the digital travel industry A branch-cut-and-price approach” (with L. Alfandari), European Journal of Operational Research (2020).
  • “Risk management on joint product development with power asymmetry between supplier and manufacturer” (with H. Cao) International Journal of Project Management (2015).

Teaching

  • Strategic Business and Engineering Project (master)
  • Operations and Supply Chain Management (master)
  • Data Analytics for Strategic Decision Making (master)
  • Operations Management (undergraduate)
  • Business Analytics (undergraduate)
  • Simulations in Operations Management (undergraduate)

Miscellaneous

Service

  • Program director, MSc in Energy Engineering Management, Durham University
  • Associate editor, the Networks journal
  • Ad hoc reviewers for POM, TS, Networks, DSJ, OR Spectrum, TRC, TOP