Dr Zahara Batool

Profile

I am human factors and transport safety expert with a background in transportation engineering.  My research portfolio can be broadly split into two distinct themes. The first relates to human factors in transport and how these can be integrated to bring behavioral change. The second is related to social and cultural dimensions in transport. In recent years, my research interests have also shifted to understand interactions between transport, health and its impacts on physical, emotional and social well-being.    

Currently, I am working as a Research Fellow in Transport Safety at Institute for Transport Studies (ITS), University of Leeds UK. I am member of Human Factors and Safety Group at ITS; a multidisciplinary team undertaking research in transport safety and driver behaviour. The role entails working with members of the group and providing support by generating and pursuing original ideas in various research projects. This also includes collaborating and communicating research results to academic and stakeholder groups (for instance Highways England, Department for Transport). Some of the projects that I have been involved include Human Drive; uDrive – mobile phone study; uCARE; Understanding Driver Frustration, Stress and Aggression; Influencing business and organization to improve road safety. 

Before joining ITS, I was working as Assistant Professor in Department of Transportation Engineering and Management Department, University of Engineering & Technology Lahore, Pakistan. The role involved teaching and administrative responsibilities along with academic supervision at both postgraduate and undergraduate levels.

Research interests

My research interests are focused on attitudinal and behavioural components related to road safety and social psychology. I am also interested in the areas of transport inequalities in low and middle income economies, and interaction between transport and health and wellbeing.

• Human factors and road safety
• Attitudes and behaviour change interventions
• Transport and health
• Transport (social) inequalities in global south
• Mixed methods, qualitative methods, multivariate analyses   

Qualifications

• PhD, Transport Safety, University of Leeds, UK
• Bsc, Transportation Engineering, University of Engineering and Technology, Lahore Pakistan

Student education

I support student education in ITS through teaching at both undergraduate and postgraduate levels and dissertation supervision. I am also tutoring undergraduates in the school of geography.  

Research groups and institutes

• Human Factors and Safety

Current postgraduate researchers

• Chenzhao Zhai
• Nadia Voigt da Mata