Mariana Vilaca

Mariana Vilaca is a Postdoctoral Research Associate at Heriot-Watt University's School of Social Sciences, specializing in sustainable transport systems and agent-based modelling. Her work directly contributes to UN Sustainable Development Goals for sustainable cities and communities.

Education:

• PhD in Energy Systems and Climate Change

Research Focus: Vilaca integrates life cycle assessment (LCA), systems thinking, and equity analysis to evaluate electric, shared, and automated vehicles. Her human-centered approach examines behavioral impacts on environmental outcomes, with emphasis on transport modelling, traffic safety, and active travel infrastructure.

Publication Trends: Recent work (2020-2025) centers on shared automated electric vehicles (SAEVs), combining agent-based modelling with LCA to assess large-scale scenarios. Key themes include interurban mobility, cost-benefit analysis of modal shifts, and cycling infrastructure optimization in diverse urban topographies.

Collaborative Hubs: Active in Heriot-Watt's TransiT Research Hub and DARe Hub, driving interdisciplinary projects on sustainable mobility solutions through partnerships with engineering and social science teams.