Ivey’s PhD Program in Business Administration is a full-time research-based program designed to develop scholars and to place graduates at high-quality research universities around the world. Our PhD candidates are showcased at conferences around the world, and regularly featured in top-tier academic and industry publications.
To help you get to know them, we’ve asked them about their academic and personal interests.
Q&A with Ehsan Kehtari, PhD candidate
What is your background?
I was born in Tehran, Iran. I started my academic journey at Sharif University of Technology with a bachelor's degree in industrial engineering. Typically, when you finish your undergraduate studies and want to stay in academia, you apply for a master’s degree. However, this was not how I imagined my future. I was more than determined to become a scientist, and because of this aspiration, I applied for direct entry into the PhD in Management Science program at Ivey. Before coming to Ivey, I did my bachelor’s thesis on the problem of operating room scheduling.
What attracted you to Ivey’s program?
It is not common for Canadian universities to offer direct entry into a PhD program, and among the schools that do, not all enjoy the same reputation as Ivey. Contributing to the School’s strong character is Ivey's impactful research output, driven by world-renowned faculty across all areas, including my interest in Management Science. Before applying to Ivey, I spoke with my supervisor, Greg Zaric, and found out we shared the same passion for health care. So, putting all the pieces together, I determined Ivey was the ideal place to complete my PhD, and I was lucky to receive admission from a very competitive pool of applicants.
What is your research focus?
In terms of methodology, I am interested in a wide range of techniques, including operations research, Markov decision processes, reinforcement learning, discrete-event simulation, and game theory. But topic-wise, I am currently focused on health care problems. In particular, I’m currently studying the conflict between a mother’s health and her baby’s in the face of a serious maternal condition like cancer during pregnancy. In this situation, pursuing an optimal therapy for cancer treatment would disrupt the natural development of the fetus, while delaying therapy would compromise the mother’s health. Therefore, it’s not straightforward to come up with an optimal treatment policy, and emotional aspects of the problem make it even more challenging to do so.
Why is that area appealing to you? What big problems/issues need to be addressed?
From the perspective of a researcher who is not a health-care professional, I believe the initial interest in studying a problem related to this industry is the theoretical aspect, and this is not unique to the topic of health care in research. However, in addition to the theoretical aspect, health care suffers from inefficiencies that affect the well-being of an entire society. When we think of health-care problems in this way, solving them becomes a necessity rather than an option, and there is an opportunity for improvement.
I would like to add that on top of every problem we ever study, there is always a greater challenge than finding the solution: and that is deriving actionable insights from the findings. There is limited value in research without effectively communicating the results to decision makers in health care.
How do you see your research making an impact?
Ideally, I wish to work on problems that have never been touched on before so that I can bring attention to them. I really hope to make lasting contributions to the fields I am most passionate about so that researchers in the near and far future are inspired by them, just like how I find work by other researchers inspiring to me right now.
How do you see research as an aid to business improvement?
I like to put helpful research and business in a feedback loop. They should inspire and be inspired. Neither works well in isolation.
What previous experience prepared you for this?
For better or worse, I have not been rigorously involved in a business environment, and my background is purely academic. However, throughout my undergraduate studies, I was constantly exposed to topics that were rooted in real-world business problems. It was on this journey that I learned programming, mathematical modeling, statistical analysis, and many other tools that enable me to embark on a research project.
Where did you grow up, and what was it like there?
I grew up in Tehran, Iran’s capital. Tehran is the beating heart of Iran, where you can find a mixture of modern and ancient life: from skyscrapers to centuries-old bazaars. With all the traffic and growing crowds, everyone’s rushing... and yet always running late! It is home to the best universities in Iran and is situated at the foot of the Alborz mountain range. Tehran has a hot, arid, continental climate. Funny though, sometimes during winter, you can catch all four seasons in one shot, starting from Mount Tochal with its ski resort in the north, all the way down to a warm sunny day in the south!
Who have been your strongest influences in life?
Growing up, I was blessed to have forward-looking parents who invested their time and energy in me; to teach me right from wrong, to help me learn from my mistakes, and to support me through all stages of my life. It is fair to say that I wouldn’t be here without their support, and I am deeply indebted.
Besides my parents, one specific person I look up to and consider a strong influence (if not the strongest) is Ali ibn Abi Talib (PBUH). I find the set of rules laid down in his letter to the governor of Egypt the most comprehensive charter of human rights (Nahj al-Balagha, Letter 53). His concern for the well-being of the people under his rule, bravery in the eradication of wrongdoing, determination in preserving the dignity of women, and care for orphans are a few of his distinguished traits. More than a religious figure, he is the pinnacle of virtue.
What might someone be surprised to know about you?
The fact that I actively and enthusiastically follow and play football... Hala Madrid!
What is your best podcast recommendation?
I have not been able to catch up to speed on it, but Real Dictators is my all-time favourite podcast. With the hauntingly calm and razor-sharp voice of the narrator, you can explore the hidden lives of history’s tyrants through a shadowy corner – dark, intense, but super compelling.
What book would you recommend to others? Why?
Shoe Dog: A Memoir by the Creator of Nike by Phil Knight. I can’t imagine a more elegant narration of how passion turns into a multibillion-dollar business. The book takes you on the rollercoaster of events, through rises and falls, and the details that made Nike stand out. If you are a runner, you are going to enjoy it twice as much, and if you are not, you will become one.
