Ashleigh Filtness

Professor Ashleigh Filtness holds the position of Professor of Transport Human Factors and Sleep Science at Loughborough University's School of Design and Creative Arts, where she also serves as Director of Knowledge Exchange and Innovation. Her part-time role allows her to balance academic responsibilities with family life. She earned a BSc in Human Biology (2007) and a PhD in Driver Sleepiness (2011), both from Loughborough University, followed by a Diploma in Pharmaceutical Regulatory Affairs (2006).

• Research Interests: Sleepiness, fatigue, road and rail safety, occupational safety, and hot air ballooning safety.
• Professional Roles: Strategic leadership in academic committees, research team leadership, international collaborations, and teaching in MSc and BSc programs.
• Awards: British Sleep Society’s Young Sleep Researcher of the Year (2009), FHEA, C.Biol, and ILM Level 5 Diploma.

Her research focuses on mitigating sleep-related risks in transport, including driver fatigue, heavy vehicle operations, and rail safety. Notable projects include EU-funded SafetyCube (2015–2018) and i-DREAMS (2019–2024), which developed safety interventions for drivers and operators across transport sectors. She has secured £3.3M in research funding and published over 90 peer-reviewed articles.

Her work spans diverse areas: evaluating caffeine-naps for obstructive sleep apnoea patients, analyzing bus driver fatigue in London, and exploring sleep patterns in new mothers. She advocates for road safety, women in academia, dyslexia awareness, and 'first in family' university access.