Hajar is a PhD candidate in the School of Mathematics and Statistics at the University of Melbourne, supervised by Dr Mark Fackrell, A/Prof Joyce Zhang, and A/Prof Hamideh Anjomshoa.

Her research draws on operations research, statistical data science, machine learning, and stochastic optimisation, with a strong focus on analysing real-world data and developing practical decision-support tools. She has extensive experience in data analysis, forecasting, and model development, with an emphasis on translating analytical results into actionable insights, particularly in healthcare settings.

Her PhD is structured around four integrated stages: (i) exploratory data analysis to identify operational challenges in hospital operating rooms; (ii) forecasting emergency surgery arrivals; (iii) preventive scheduling of elective and emergency surgeries using a two-stage stochastic model; and (iv) real-time surgery scheduling using a Markov decision process. Her work aims to reduce cancellations and waiting times while improving the efficiency of Australian public hospitals.