Ashleigh Filtness, Professor of Transport Human Factors and Sleep Science, succeeds Professor Andrew Morris, who has led the Centre for 10 years and played a key role in establishing its international reputation as an innovative hub for transport safety research.
An internationally recognised researcher, Professor Filtness specialises in human factors, fatigue, sleep and transport safety. Her work has helped improve understanding of how driver behaviour and human performance contribute to transport risk, supporting the development of evidence-based approaches to enhancing safety across transport systems.
Established within the School of Design and Creative Arts in 1983, the TSRC assembles experts from a range of disciplines to address key challenges facing transport safety. The Centre’s research informs policy and industry innovation and contributes to reducing deaths and serious injuries within transport networks. As one of the University’s Centres of Excellence, the TSRC plays a pivotal role in delivering impactful, interdisciplinary research. The Centre's research focuses on key transport safety challenges, including crash causation and safety assurance, fitness to drive and user state monitoring, vulnerable road user safety, injury prevention and inclusivity, and the safe integration of new technologies into the transport system.
As Director, Professor Filtness will provide strategic leadership for the Centre, helping to strengthen its national and international profile, support staff and doctoral researchers, develop interdisciplinary collaborations, grow research and consultancy income, and ensure the continued delivery of high-quality transport safety research. Under Professor Filtness’s leadership, TSRC will continue to pursue its vision of "advancing research and innovation for an inclusive, sustainable, human-centred transport system free from death and serious injury”.
Commenting on her appointment, Professor Filtness said:
“I am delighted to be appointed Director of the Transport Safety Research Centre at such an exciting time for transport safety research. With renewed national focus on reducing road deaths and serious injuries through the Road Safety Strategy, there is a real opportunity for research to shape policy and practice.
I would like to thank Professor Andrew Morris for his outstanding leadership and all he has done to establish TSRC as a recognised Centre of Excellence. I look forward to building on TSRC's success and would encourage anyone whose work aligns with our vision of a safer, more inclusive, sustainable human-centred transport system to get in touch and explore opportunities to work with us.”