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Sarah Yini Gao is an award-winning operations management scholar whose research advances healthcare, humanitarian logistics, and supply chain resilience through innovative optimization, game theory, and data-driven methodologies.
Integrates advanced optimization and game-theoretic approaches with real-world healthcare and humanitarian challenges; recognized for methodological rigor and practical impact; strong industry and public sector collaborations (e.g., SingHealth, Ministry of Health, KK Women's and Children's Hospital); recipient of multiple teaching and research awards.
Focused research areas include Disruption risk management in supply chains; post-disaster humanitarian logistics; healthcare operations (screening, scheduling, donor management); flexible resource allocation and redeployment; anti-counterfeiting strategies; robust and stochastic optimization; game-theoretic modeling of operational challenges.
Integrates advanced optimization and game-theoretic approaches with real-world healthcare and humanitarian challenges; recognized for methodological rigor and practical impact; strong industry and public sector collaborations (e.g., SingHealth, Ministry of Health, KK Women's and Children's Hospital); recipient of multiple teaching and research awards.
Focused research areas include Disruption risk management in supply chains; post-disaster humanitarian logistics; healthcare operations (screening, scheduling, donor management); flexible resource allocation and redeployment; anti-counterfeiting strategies; robust and stochastic optimization; game-theoretic modeling of operational challenges.
Areas of Expertise
Supply chain risk managementDisaster ManagementDecision under uncertaintyGame theoryOperation management
Past Awarded Grant
- Mental Health and Mental Resilience - On the Operational Challenges of Mental Health Counselling Services, SMU Internal Grant, Ministry of Education Tier 1, PI (Project Level): GAO, Yini, 2023, S$88,000
- Blood Donor Management: An Exploration on an Inventory-Responsive Policy, SMU Internal Grant, Ministry of Education Tier 1, PI (Project Level): GAO, Yini, 2020, S$33,229
- On the Design of Customized Colorectal Cancer Screening Policies to Improve Screening Guideline Compliance, SMU Internal Grant, Ministry of Education Tier 1, PI (Project Level): GAO, Yini, Co-PI (Project Level): ZHENG Zhichao Daniel, 2018, S$74,945
Latest Publications
Showing up to 6 latest publications from the past 5 years.
- Max-Min Bilinear Completely Positive Programs: A Semidefinite Relaxation with Tightness Guarantees [2026]SY Gao, X Tang, Y YuanarXiv preprint arXiv:2602.14949, 2026
- SY Gao, Y He, R Zhang, Z Zheng, SW Lam, E TanManagement Science 71 (9), 7516-7536, 2025
- X Wang, Y Zhu, SY Gao, Z Zheng, SLS WeiSingapore Management University School of Business Research Paper Forthcoming, 2024
- Flexible vs. dedicated technology choice in the presence of multiproduct subscription programs [2024]L Lu, O BOYABATLI, SY Gao
- SY Gao, WS Lim, Z YeEuropean Journal of Operational Research 308 (2), 709-721, 2023
- T Zhu, NTB Yeo, SY Gao, GG LokeManufacturing & Service Operations Management 25 (4), 1585-1602, 2023
Education
| 2013 - 2017 | Ph.D., Decision Sciences National University of Singapore |
| 2008 - 2012 | B.A., Business Administration National University of Singapore |
| 2008 - 2012 | B.A., Chemical Engineering National University of Singapore |
Current Position(s) Held
| 2026 - Now | Associate Professor of Operations Management Lee Kong Chian School of Business, Singapore Management University |
| 2021 | Lee Kong Chian Fellow Lee Kong Chian School of Business, Singapore Management University |
| 2017 - 2026 | Assistant Professor of Operations Management Lee Kong Chian School of Business, Singapore Management University |
Awards, Recognition and Honors
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Research Interests
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Selected Journal Articles (Refereed)
Healthcare and Humanitarian Operations
- Gao, S.Y., He, Y., Zhang, R., Zheng, Z. Lam, S.W., and Tan, E., 2025. Optimizing Initial Screen for Colorectal Cancer Detection with Adherence Behavior. Management Science, 71(9), 7223-8095.
- Zhu., T., Yeo, N., Gao, S. Y., and Loke, G., 2023. Inventory-Responsive Donor Management Policy: A Tandem Queueing Network Model. Manufacturing & Service Operations Management, 25(4), 1585-1602.
- Cheng, G., Gao, S.Y., Yuan, Y., Zhang, C. and Zheng, Z., 2022. On the Test Accuracy and Effective Control of the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Case Study in Singapore. INFORMS Journal on Applied Analytics, 52(6), 524-538.
Supply Chain & Operations Flexibility
- Gao, S.Y., Simchi-levi, D., Teo, C.P., Yan, Z., 2019. Disruption Risk Mitigation in Supply Chains - The Risk Exposure Index Revisted, Operations Research 67(3), 831-852.
- Yan, Z., Gao, S.Y., and Teo, C.P. 2018. On the Design of Sparse but Efficient Structures in Operations. Management Science 64(7), 3421-3445.
Innovative Business Models
- Lu, L. Fang, X., Gao, S.Y., Kaza, B., 2025. Converting Counterfeiters in Emerging Markets to Authorized Suppliers: A New Anti-Counterfeiting Measure. Production and Operations Management, 34(9), 2910-2930
- Gao, S.Y., Lim, W.S. and Tang, C., 2016. Entry of Copycats of Luxury Brands. Marketing Science, 36(2), 272-289.
- Gao, S.Y., Lim, W.S. and Ye, Z., 2023. Optimal Channel Strategy of Luxury Brands in the Presence of Online Marketplace and Counterfeits. European Journal of Operational Research, 308(2), 709-721.
- Gao, S.Y., Lim, W.S. and Tang, C., 2016. The Impact of the Potential Entry of Copycats: Entry Conditions, Consumer Welfare, and Social Welfare. Decision Sciences.
Optimization Theories
- Gao, S.Y., Sun, J., and Wu, S.Y., 2016. A Semi-infinite Programming Approach to Two-stage Stochastic Linear Programs with High-order Moment Constraints, Optimization Letter, 1-11.
- Gao, S.Y., Kong, L. and Sun, J., 2014. Robust Two-stage Stochastic Linear Programs with Moment Constraints. Optimization, 63(6), 829-837.