Melike Yildirim

Melike Yildirim

Assistant Professor, Industrial and Systems Engineering

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Melike Yildirim

Biography

Dr. Melike Yildirim is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Industrial and Systems Engineering at Wayne State University. Prior to joining Wayne State, she served as a prevention effectiveness fellow at the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ) (2021-2023), with research focused on medical decision-making related to the prevention, early detection and treatment of chronic and infectious diseases. In 2021, she worked as a postdoctoral researcher at Harvard University Medical School and Massachusetts General Hospital. Dr. Yildirim has extensive experience in developing data-driven models and evaluating healthcare interventions' effectiveness. 

  • Assistant Professor, Industrial and Systems Engineering, Wayne State University, 2024 -
  • Prevention Effectiveness Fellow, Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), 12/2021 - 12/2023
  • Statistician and PE Fellow, Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ), 2/2022 - 12/2023

Education

  • Postdoctoral Fellowship in Medical School, Harvard University, 2021
  • Ph.D. in Industrial and Systems Engineering, Georgia Institute of Technology, 2020
    • Advisor: Dr. Pinar Keskinocak, Minor: Statistics
  • M.S. in Industrial and Systems Engineering, Georgia Institute of Technology, 2020
  • M.Eng. in Healthcare System Engineering, Lehigh University, 2015

 

Research Interests

  • Research Summary: Leveraging Large-Scale Community-Based Data to Promote Equitable and Inclusive Access to Healthcare through Optimal Intervention and Policy Decisions
  • Communities Impacted to Date: Underserved Communities in Subsaharan Africa, and United States (Georgia, Michigan, New York, Massachusetts, and overall US)
  • Addressed Health Issues to Date: Pediatric Asthma, Mother-to-child transmitted HIV, Invasive Pneumococcal Disease, Opioid Use Disorders, Pregnancy and Postpartum Care, Mental Health
  • Methods: Stochastic Processes (Discrete-time Markov chain, Continuous-time Markov processes), Simulation (Discrete event, Microsimulation, Agent-based, System dynamics, Differential equations), Optimization for Resource Allocation (Dynamic programming, Stochastic optimization), Predictive Analytics (Machine learning, Deep learning)

Publications:

Policy Briefs, Technical Reports and Conference Papers:

  • R. Limcangco, M. Yildirim, B. Friedman, F. Rohde, Z. Karaca (2024) Hospital Financial Measures Database, Methodology Report. AHRQ Data Innovations. Link
  • R. Limcangco, M. Yildirim, F. Rohde (2024) State Variation in Opioid Prescription Fills After Childbirth Among Women Ages 18-44 With Commercial Insurance. AHRQ Statistical Brief. Link
  • M. Yildirim, R. Limcangco, B. Friedman, F. Rohde (2024) Analyzing Short-Term Acute Care Hospitals’ Financial Measures Across Key Characteristics, 2016-2019. AHRQ Statistical Brief. Link
  • R. Limcangco, F. Rohde, M. Yildirim (2023) State Variation in Birth Rates and Payments among Commercially Insured Women Age 18-44, SyH-DR. AHRQ Statistical Brief. Link
  • M. Yildirim, P. Keskinocak, S. Pelton, I. Yildirim (2018) Predicting Risk of Breakthrough Invasive Pneumococcal Disease in Children After 13-Valent Pneumococcal Conjugate Vaccination. Open Forum Infect Diseases. Link

 

Professional Affiliations

  • Research Affiliate, Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH)
  • Member, Institute for Operations Research and the Management Sciences (INFORMS)
  • Member, Women in OR/MS
  • Member, Academy of Health

Laboratory Web Site

Research Group:
Shayan Sharifi, PhD Student
Gokalp Cosgun, PhD Student

 

Courses taught by Melike Yildirim

Winter Term 2025 (future)

Fall Term 2024 (current)

Winter Term 2024

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