Dr Gillian Harrison

Profile

I am Principal Systems Thinking Analyst at the Department for Transport (UK Government), leading on net zero systems and a visiting researcher with ITS Leeds.

I am an experienced transport policy and strategy researcher, with a committed professional interest in equitable and sustainable mobility. I am a specialist in systems thinking, particulary system dynamics modelling, policy appraisal and data analysis and my research interests include new mobility technology and services, transport decarbonisation, transport and health and transport equity.

I have six years of business experience in environmental management, project and data co-ordination (in the UK water industry), hold a MSc/PhD in low carbon technologies (modelling, policy and ethics of low carbon vehicles) and spent three years as a post-doctoral researcher for the European Commission, Joint Research Centre in electro-mobility modelling and policy advice. In this role, I was responsible for the development and application of the EC-JRC Powertrain Technology Transition Market Agent Model (PTTMAM), a state-of-the-art system dynamics model representing all 28 EU member states. During this time I contributed to five European research projects and to the development of the Alternative Fuel Infrastructure Directive.

Between 2017 and 2023, I was a Research Fellow and Senior Research Fellow at the Institute for Transport Studies, supporting EU Horizon 2020 and UK funded projects on automated & connected vehicles, mobile phone travel apps, new and emerging forms of data for mobility policy, transport and health, and modelling and governance of new mobility services. I was ECR Rep for the Department helping to implement startegies related to the Resercher Concordat and then co-lead of the Social and Political Sciences Research Group. I am a Fellow of the Higher Education Academy, with experience in lecturing systems dynamics and transport policy, and have both developed and lead modules, as well as supervising both MSc and PhD students.

I have published papers in numerous peer-reviewed journals, presented at a variety of international conferences, organised interdisciplinary workshops and mini-conferences, and acted as a reviewer for both international journals and conferences. I am a member of the Association of EuropeanTransport, chairing the system dynamics programme committe for their annual European Transport Conference, and of the System Dynamics Society, acting as chair to their Transportation Special Interest Group.

Employment 

• 2023-present, Principal Systems Thinking Analyst (Department for Transport, UK Government)
• 2022-2023, Senior Research Fellow (University of Leeds, Institute for Transport Studies)
• 2017-2022, Research Fellow (University of Leeds, Institute for Transport Studies)
• 2013-2016, Post-Doctoral Grantholder (European Commission, Joint Research Centre)
• 2003-2009, Environmental Advisor / Programme Co-ordinator / Data Analyst (Yorkshire Water)

Research interests

FAME (Horizon Europe): Auguts 2022 – 2023

The project, which is building on the legacy of previous EU-funded support actions including the VRA, CARTRE and ARCADE projects, aims to directly support the work of the CCAM Partnership and the European Commission for the identification of gaps and future needs for R&I in CCAM.

LIFEBAND (Innovate UK): August 2021 – 2023

This project will address these gaps in data arising from the NHS/PHE contact tracing smartphone application by providing a cheap, low-tech and highly secure wristband alternative providing a more complete picture of infection rates; and risks to (and from) population groups such as older people and school children

U-PASS (Europe-China): August 2019 – 2023

Governance and modelling of new mobility services. U-PASS is a collaboration between Chinese and European institutes, to design and analyse innovative service and policy innovations for acheiving sustainable urban transportation. 

KARMA (Alan Turing Institute): September 2018 - 2023

Developing applications of New and Emerging Data Forms (NEDF) in the understanding of mobility behavior and the impact of transport policy schemes on energy, environment and health. Includes management and analysis of mobile phone data from a dedicated app and the development of a system dynamics model.

AUTOPILOT (H2020): May 2018 - October 2019

Data analysis and support to evaluation of pilot projects, quality of life impacts, and legal aspects of the AUTOPILOT project, which brings Internet of Things into the automotive world to transform connected and autonomous vehicles. Includes the development of a system dynamics model.

Smarter Travel Solutions (Innovate UK): May - August 2018

Development of a system dynamics model of the uptake and evolution of a mobile phone ‘app’ for transport planning and ticketing within West Yorkshire.

TrACE (H2020): June - August 2018

Advice on the business plan development, knowledge transfer training needs, and customised research tools for a proposed ‘Transport Analytics Centre of Excellence’ based in Cyprus.

EMPOWER (H2020): February 2018 - May 2018

Data analysis of new generation data from a mobile phone travel app designed to positively incentivise the shift away from conventionally fuelled vehicles.

HABITS (ESRC): April 2017 - February 2018

Research and administrative tasks including sourcing, preparing and analysis of data, model development and stakeholder engagement to generate transport and health related policy insights, utilising new generation ‘track and trace’ data.

• FAME

Qualifications

• MSc/PhD in Low Carbon Technologies
• PG Cert in Water and Environmental Management
• MChem in Chemistry with Forensic and Pharmaceutical Science
• Fellowship of Higher Education Academy

Professional memberships

• System Dynamics Society
• European Association of Transport

Student education

Supervision

2017 - : PhD:

V.Ternes: “Fast and Fair Decabonsiation of Trasport” (ongoing)

D.Soysouvanh: “Freight transport in least developed landlocked countries: a case study of Laos PDR” (2018)

2018 -  2023: Supervision of MSc Student dissertations to succesful completion

Lecturing

Involved in lecturing on transport-related issues and system dynamics 

2022 - present: Transport, Energy and Environment (Module Leader) (BSc Geography with Transport) (visiting lecturer from 2023)

2022 - present: City Systems: Mobility (MSc Sustainable Cities) (visiting lecturer from 2023)

2020 - 2023: Transport, Land Use and Development  (BSc Geography with Transport)

2018 - present: System Dynamics: Modelling Policy (MSc Transport Studies) (visiting lecturer from 2023)

2011 - 2013: Assistant tutor on undergraduate modules in Engineering Ethics (various seminars including Weapons Development, Sustainability, Risk Management, Research Ethics, and Engineering Ethics)

Research groups and institutes

• Social and Political Sciences
• Spatial Modelling and Dynamics