Dr. Julie Swann, is the department head and A. Doug Allison Distinguished Professor of the Edward P. Fitts Department of Industrial and Systems Engineering at NC State University. She conducts research, outreach and education to improve how health and humanitarian systems operate worldwide and has served as a science advisor for the H1N1 pandemic response at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Data, Decisions, and the Drive to Optimize Health Systems

Behind every public health challenge—whether it is a pandemic, a chronic disease crisis, or gaps in healthcare access—are decisions that shape lives. In this talk, I will share how operations research and data-driven optimization can help improve those decisions, guiding systems toward better health outcomes. Drawing on examples from real-world crises and ongoing health system challenges, I will explore how mathematical models, grounded in data and designed with stakeholders in mind, can support efficient, effective, and equitable solutions. Whether it is determining where to send vaccines, how to allocate limited resources, or when to intervene in a fragile supply chain, optimization offers not just answers, but insight into what matters most. By combining systems thinking, analytical tools, and a commitment to impact, we can design strategies that do not just treat illness—but strengthen the systems that protect health in the first place.