Abstract:
The complexity of man-made systems increases rapidly and so do costs spent for them. To measure efficiency and effectiveness becomes more and more complex but is an urgent need. Development of new methods, models and technologies is needed in order to support analysing, planning and controlling. Quantity and quality of available data strongly increases and therefore facilitates the description and analysis of all areas in complex systems like health care. Bringing together necessary technologies is an enormous challenge. Data-based Demographic models have to be combined with models for the spread of diseases. Dynamic modelling concepts must be parametrized with complex data sets from various sources. For system simulation an important aspect is the possibility to implement changes inside the system, like interventions within the computer model, and to analyse their effects. On basis of experiences of the Austrian DEXHELPP Competence Centre for Decision Support in Health Policy and Planning, where an innovative research infrastructure – the DEXHELPP Research Server - was developed to enable researchers and other stakeholders to share data and methods for research and decision making, N. Popper will point out how large, interdisciplinary teams can handle these complex processes in the future and what are similarities and differences to other complex man-made systems.
Brief CV
Nikolas “Niki” Popper studied Mathematics, Philosophy and Jazz Theory in Vienna, Barcelona, Catalonia (Spain) and Moscow, Idaho (US) and received his ScD (Dr.techn.) at TU Wien. Niki Popper published and presented about 150 articles and talks in journals and at international conferences. He is coordinator of COCOS “Centre for Computational Complex Systems” at TU Wien as well as chairman of DEXHELPP, the COMET K-Project (Decision Support for Health Policy and Planning: Methods, Models and Technologies based on Existing Health Care Data), which is dedicated to the development models and to efficient and safe use of data for decision making in health systems. His main research interests are theory and applications of modelling & simulation of dynamic and complex systems, especially: comparative modelling & simulation; coupling and comparison of mathematical model approaches; development of new modelling methods; implementation, parametrization, calibration and validation concepts and domain and application integration of simulation models like health system research and model based HTA (Health Technology Assessment). He co-invented the award winning Master College for Applied Modelling, Simulation and Decision Making at TU Wien and the award winning blended learning courses in basic maths at the same university. He worked as science editor and journalist and co-founded two successful companies, the production company drahtwarenhandlung for scientific films, data journalism and computer animation and the R&D company dwh GmbH for technical solutions and simulation services, dedicated to develop new and innovative pipelines from the basic idea for a data driven analysis up to a ready for market solution. Niki Popper is married and is father of two children.