Skip to main navigation Skip to search Skip to main content
Dilum Abeyakone Dissanayake

View Scopus Profile

Dilum Abeyakone Dissanayake

Dr.

 https://orcid.org/0000-0001-6166-5709

Accepting PhD Students

PhD projects

My PhD students are working in the areas of travel demand modelling and forecasting, behavioural change, electric, autonomous and Hydrogen mobility and sustainable mobility (including walking and cycling). I supervise both quantitative and qualitative research leading to better policies and societal impacts. The students with background in Civil Engineering, Mathematics and Statistics, and Data Science are particularly welcome to join my research team. However, my PhD team is full at this stage. 

20022026

Research activity per year

Personal profile

Research interests

My research focuses on:

Travel behaviour analysis, Travel demand modelling and forecasting, Electric and Autonomus Vehicles, Investigating travel behaviour change, Value of travel time (VOTT) and its relationship with ICT use, Investigation of transport policies (transit subsidy, congestion pricing, telecommuting, land use planning), Infrastructure engineering and planning, Traffic incident management, Transport safety (valuation, child pedestrians, Willingness to pay), Transport and the environment, Transport and land use, Vehicle ownership modelling and forecasting, Developing country research (both safety, travel behaviour and tourism)

Methods and Models that I applied in my research:

  • Discrete choice techniques
  • Hazard-based duration models
  • Statistical analysis (Data factoring, clustering, and multiple corresponding analysis, Generalised linear models, multiple regression)
  • Theory of Planning Behaviour
  • Theory of Diffusion of Innovation
  • Natural Language Processing (NLP)
  • Data mining and Machine learning

Funded Project (Current and Previous):

  • EMBARK (2026-28) - Funded by MCSA fellowship scheme – £240k to University of Birmingham
  • eMotorcycle Battery Swapping (2024-25) - Funded by Future Transport Visions Group (FTVG)  Rees Jeffreys Road Fund - with partners from Uganda
  • CLEETS (2023-28) – Funded by NSF (USA) and UKRI (UK); Co Investigator (from University of Birmingham) – £10m; consortium covers the UK (University of Birmingham and Cardiff University), and the Discovery Partners Institute, part of the University of Illinois System. I lead Transport Demand Management theme. Home - CLEETS Global Center (cleets-global-center.org)
  • Capitalisation (2021-23) – Funded by INTERREG North West Europe; Principal Investigator (from Newcastle University) – €392k; consortium covers the UK, Ireland, Netherlands and Belgium. I lead Transport Modelling Work Package. www.nweurope.eu/media/13359/list-of-approved-projects-2nd-call-for-cap.pdf
  • eHUBS (2019-2022) – Funded by INTERREG North West Europe; Principal Investigator (from Newcastle University) – €412k ; eHUBS is focusing on Travel Behaviour Change with 92 physical eHUBS infrastructure in Europe - consortium covers Netherland (consortia lead), Germany, UK, Belgium, France. https://www.nweurope.eu/projects/project-search/ehubs-smart-shared-green-mobility-hubs/
  • EPSRC DTC funding (2019-2023) – £57k – PhD studentship started in September 2019. The focus on the urban transport infrastructure focuses most conducive to electric Micro-mobility. This project is giving attention to COVID 19 impacts on cycling and how cycle flows changing before and during COVID-19 with particular attention to the UK government initiatives of introducing pop-up lanes. https://gtr.ukri.org/projects?ref=studentship-2281091
  • Duo India Professor Fellowship to research with Professor Indrajit Ghosh at IIT Roorkee (2020-22) – Funded by DUO-India Fellowship Programme. This fellowship will explore the road user behaviour of pedestrians and cyclists with a particular focus to road safety. https://ir.iitr.ac.in/blog/posts/56/
  • SPARC Project (2020-2022) – Road Tolling - Funded by SPARC Scheme (India); the consortia consist of BITS Pilani, Cardiff University and Newcastle University. https://www.bits-pilani.ac.in/hyderabad/prasantasahu/ProjectsandGrants
  • Teaching Funding (2017) – Teaching and computer workshops for Stage 4 students at Durham University - £6k
  • JSPS Bridge Fellowship (2013) – Funded by JSPS to carry out research with 4 Japanese Universities - £12k
  • Research fund from Gateshead Council (2007-2008) – for a student project – £500
  • Catherine Cookson Foundation (2005-2006) – £2.5K

Professional Affiliations and Services:

  • External Examiner for MSc in Transport Planning at University of Hertfordshire (2026-28)
  • External Examiner for MSc in Transport and Planning at Cardiff University (2022-28)
  • Academic Advisor to International Research Group (funded by Eastern Asian Society for Transportation Research) consisting of India, Sri Lanka, Malaysia, Indonesia, Thailand and Vietnam, and the UK (2024-)
  • External Examiner for MSc in Urban Studies, University of Glasgow (2016-21)
  • External Examiner for BEng & MEng in Civil Eng, London South Bank University (2015-20)
  • Royal Statistical Society Future Leader Fellow, 2024
  • DfT Shadow Joint Analysis Development Panel (SJADP), 2024-26
  • Duo-India Professor fellowship (2020-22)
  • Associate Editor of the IET ITS journal (2020-)
  • Academic Editor of the Journal of Advanced Transportation (2020-)

Esteem Indicators, Scholastic Honours and Prizes:

  • UTSG Best Paper Award (UTSG Chair’s Choice), 2025
  • UTSG PhD best poster prize to my supervisee (Pound Meenapinunt), 2023
  • Remarkable Women in Transport international award (TUMI), 2022
  • Amey Prize 2019 to my dissertation supervisee (MSc Transport Modelling): Mr Mikael Xia)
  • Jacobs Prize 2019 to my dissertation supervisee (MSc Transport Planning): Mr Swapnil Fulari)
  • The COLAS CIHT Award to my MEng dissertation supervisee (Lindsey McConnell) (2015)
  • JSPS Bridge Fellowship to pursue research in Japan (2012-13)
  • The Newton Fund Travel Award (2013)

Current PhD Students:

  • Ross Bangs (1st Year)
  • Sampadha Bathula (1st Year)
  • Zin Muhana (1st Year)
  • Weijian (Raymond) Xu (2nd Year)
  • Terence Johnson (2nd Year)
  • Sanoji Rathnasekara (2nd Year)
  • Adamu Salihu (3rd year)
  • Shukurat Bankole (3rd year)

Completed PhD students:

  • Janak Parmar (2024, 2nd supervisor), Electric Vehicle Sharing Systems
  • Huseyin Ayan (2025, Main supervisor), Light Rail Transit
  • Meenapinunt T. (2024, Main supervisor), Commuter Travel Behaviour in Developing Countries
  • Burke M. (2024, Main supervisor), Analysing Active Travel and Vehicle Flow Profiles
  • Chakravartty A. (2024, 2nd supervisor), Traffic Emissions
  • Wang H. (2024, 2nd supervisor), Carbon Tax Management
  • Bostaji A. (2023, 2nd supervisor), Transport and the environment
  • Turner J. (2020, Main Supervisor), Trip sharing in rural communities
  • Akgun N. (2019, Main Supervisor), Transport safety: cyclists’ safety in roundabouts
  • Ali F. (2018, Main Supervisor), Travel Behaviour and Car User Attitudes to Climate Change
  • Sykes P. (2018, 2nd Supervisor), Uncertainty in decision making
  • Yosritzal (2014, Main Supervisor), Travel Behaviour and Value of time in rail journeys
  • Alkaabi A. (2013, Main Supervisor), Traffic Incident Management
  • Widyastuti H. (2011, Main supervisor), Transport Safety

PhD Examinations:

  • Pooja Selena Rao (External Examiner – Imperial College, December 2025)
  • Mansoor Umer (External Examiner – PolyU, HK, October 2025)
  • Vikram Singh (External Examiner – IIT Roorkee, India, October 2025)
  • Ioannis Kosmidis (External Examiner – University of Stavanger, February 2025)
  • Xuehao Zhai (External Examiner – Imperial College, January 2025)
  • Lawrence Alongu (External Examiner – ITS, University of Leeds, January 2025)  
  • Trivedi P. (External Examiner – IITRAM, India, October 2024)
  • Gupta N. (External Examiner – School of Plann. & Architecture, New Delhi, October 2023)
  • Singha K. (External Examiner – School of Plann & Architecture, New Delhi, September 2023)
  • Coenegrachts E. (External Examiner – University of Antwerp, July 2023)
  • Faruque S. M. (External Examiner – Napier University, June 2023)
  • AL Otaibi S.  (External Examiner – University of Loughborough, December 2021)
  • Hutchinson L. (External Examiner – University of Southampton, September 2020)
  • Watson I. (External Examiner – London South Bank University, February 2020) 
  • Sam E. (External Examiner – Hasselt University, October 2019) 
  • Ubaidillah N. (External Examiner – ITS, University of Leeds, September 2019)  
  • Afghari A. P. (External Examiner – University of Queensland, October 2018)
  • O’Brien J. (Internal Examiner, October 2017)
  • Chen W. (Internal Examiner, April 2016)
  • Dharmowijoyo D. (External Examiner – KTH Stockholm, January 2016)
  • Narh A (Internal Examiner – October 2015)
  • Park D. S. (External Examiner – University of Southampton, January 2015)
  • Hamad M. (Internal Examiner –November 2014)
  • Caygil M. (Internal Examiner –January 2014)
  • Cairns J. (Internal Examiner –March 2013)
  • Wedagama P. (Internal Examiner –June 2005)

Keynote delivery at conferences/events:

  • E-mobility hubs in the UK and Europe: Highlights of the research from my awesome research team, 17th October 2025
  • Shared eMobility System for Sustainable Transportation, A workshop organised by IIT Bombay, 23rd July 2025
  • Have shared autonomous vehicles captured the public’s imagination? Unravelling the interrelationships and moderators that play a role in it, A workshop organised by IIT Hyderabad, 26th July 2025
  • Intelligent Transportation Applications & Research, ITS Turkey Conference, 16th April 2025

Other (Panelist):

  • The launch of the WIPO Technology Trends (WITT) flagship report on the future of transportation, 6th February 2025, Geneva, Switzerland
  • The Royal geographic Society Panel on low-carbon transport options, sustainable tourism, and the role of geography in designing journeys that reduce environmental impact, 3rd March 2026

Engagement with Industry:

TfWMs Rapid Evidence Assessment (REA) on Anti-Social Behaviour – Dissanayake D and Rathnasekara S. (PhD researcher) prepared the REA – February 2026

Education/Academic qualification

Doctor of Engineering, Travel Behaviour Analysis, Nagoya University, Japan

Master of Engineering, Infrastructure Planning and Management, Asian Institute of Technology (AIT), Thailand

Bachelor of Engineering, Civil Engineering, University of Moratuwa, Sri Lanka

Expertise related to UN Sustainable Development Goals

In 2015, UN member states agreed to 17 global Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) to end poverty, protect the planet and ensure prosperity for all. This person’s work contributes towards the following SDG(s):

  1. SDG 3 - Good Health and Well-being
    SDG 3 Good Health and Well-being
  2. SDG 7 - Affordable and Clean Energy
    SDG 7 Affordable and Clean Energy
  3. SDG 8 - Decent Work and Economic Growth
    SDG 8 Decent Work and Economic Growth
  4. SDG 9 - Industry, Innovation, and Infrastructure
    SDG 9 Industry, Innovation, and Infrastructure
  5. SDG 11 - Sustainable Cities and Communities
    SDG 11 Sustainable Cities and Communities
  6. SDG 12 - Responsible Consumption and Production
    SDG 12 Responsible Consumption and Production
  7. SDG 13 - Climate Action
    SDG 13 Climate Action
  8. SDG 15 - Life on Land
    SDG 15 Life on Land

Fingerprint

Dive into the research topics where Dilum Abeyakone Dissanayake is active. These topic labels come from the works of this person. Together they form a unique fingerprint.
  • 1 Similar Profiles
View full fingerprint

Collaborations and top research areas from the last five years

Recent external collaboration on country/territory level. Dive into details by clicking on the dots or
Explore network further
View all 105 research outputs
  • 1 Conference, workshop or symposium
  • 1 Guest lecture or Invited talk