IE PhD Student Yiqi Tian Receives INFORMS Award for Life-Saving Research in Kenya

Yiqi Tian, a PhD student in the University of Pittsburgh Department of Industrial Engineering, received the “Doing Good with Operations Research” INFORMS award for her research that aims to address the life-threatening blood shortage in Kenya. 

Tian and her team (that includes Professors Bopaya Bidanda, Jay Rajgopal and her advisor Bo Zeng, along with faculty from Medicine, Surgery and other social scientists) developed an integrated analytical toolset for the PITS-Kenya study, a sub-project of BloodSafe, paving the way for innovative advancements in Kenya’s blood transfusion systems. This includes the first comprehensive process map of Kenya's blood system, a large-scale digital twin using discrete event simulation and interactive blood drive planning tools. 

These innovations are streamlining local blood bank operations, supporting the clinical trial in local hospitals, impacting 30,000 patients and aiming to increase the national blood supply coverage from 30 percent to 50 percent. The tools are designed to be practical and scalable, providing a framework for regional adaptation.

“By developing solutions that are both practical and advanced, we're not just aiming to improve healthcare delivery—we, the entire PITS-Kenya team, are truly committed to saving lives,” said Tian. “I’m proud that this recognition highlights the practical, hands-on approach we've taken, grounded in extensive fieldwork to ensure we fully grasp the complexities of the problems we're solving.”

The INFORMS award celebrates student research and practice that has societal impact and features work that partners with public and private organizations to yield tangible and beneficial outcomes for individuals, communities and organizations.